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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29614563">Hello there, stranger</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/write_things4/pseuds/write_things4'>write_things4</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Multi, Slow Burn, Slow Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:07:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29614563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/write_things4/pseuds/write_things4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A Hange Zoë and reader story.<br/>I've written Hange as AFAB nonbinary.</p><p>You've lived outside the Walls your entire life, unable to face humanity for the secret you possess, but when a certain squad leader appears comatosed in your forest, will that change?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hange Zoë &amp; Reader, Hange Zoë/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You didn’t want to end up here. No, it was dangerous too close to the floor, they could reach you and break your spine all too easily. Your jaws tightened around the fabric gripped gingerly between them. The body attached shuddered slightly at its readjustment. The hell were they thinking, just sitting there exposed? Did they have a death wish? You hissed as you continued your ascent. Did you have a death wish doing this? You didn’t know them. You could have left them to die, and all too easily. That one with the wonky arm almost had them by the time you reached the scene, its features contorted into a hollow grin. Yet instead you took them and ran. Stupid.</p><p>It was hard enough to haul yourself up the colossal trunk, but with another body? Your claws ached. They better live. And they better damn well appreciate it. At a somewhat safe distance, you had the chance to glance down at them. A gash just below the hairline had painted their forehead red, the blood’s onslaught held back by goggles fogged up enough to hide their eyes. They weren’t the first you’d seen in that uniform. Every so often, others would fly through, hundreds upon hundreds of beige and green flecks passing you by in a heartbeat. You’d never gotten a chance to look at one for this long. Metallic boxes rattled at their sides, two blades, one shattered, twirled at the ends of their cables at least another metre below. They could use them to fly, those awkward looking hunks of metal. It was undeniably impressive. And stupid. Brave, imaginative and impressive, but stupid.  One wrong move and you could fall and break your neck. Or, alternatively, knock yourself out, as your companion knew all too well. <br/>It was only another twenty feet now until your camp, a hollow in one of the hundreds or thousands of trees around it. It wasn’t the largest, but it was warm enough when padded in winter with whatever you could find. It was better than nothing at least, just running and running with nothing. You wondered where they had come from.<br/> They smelt different than your almost earthen scent. Like chemicals and other unknowns. Drawing their body up the final few inches, you finally allowed yourself to sigh. The one with the wonky arm stood still at the base, clawing at the bark and giving that same grin and grimace. You shook yourself. Better here than there.</p><p>Now however, you still had your guest to focus on. Their wounds would need tending to, and it wouldn’t to make a fire to keep them warm, and you. Nightfall would come soon. Bones cracked as your posture shifted, quadruped to biped. It took less now, changing was second nature. Could they do it too? Your mother had never spoken of others like you, other shapechangers and facemelders. She said that was why you lived here, where no one could ever find you, because of their fear of the creatures that roamed amongst the trunks.</p><p>The body groaned. You hurried into your clothes and began with the fire making, propping their head gingerly as the embers took to the brush. It took a while to figure how to remove the boxes, blades and fans from their person, piling them neatly in the corner. You hoped you hadn’t broken it. You didn’t want to deal with an angry concussed stranger. You had nestled them in what few blankets you had, wiped the blood from their forehead and delicately applied a salve and bandage. It should help with their recovery, so long as  you had remembered what plants it needed correctly. They looked peaceful now. Their face was relaxed, their breathing slow and easy. At least they seemed relatively well, all things considered. Their features were elegant. You couldn’t help but admire the smooth curve of their nose, the delicate purse of their lips. What eye colour did they have? What was their voice like? Did they smile much? Would they thank you or hurt you? Looking at them now, you couldn’t imagine it. Still. It couldn’t hurt to nap for a bit at least.</p><p>As sunlight fanned at your eyelids, you realised that nap had been overshot. Instinctively you jolted upright. Glancing over, they were still asleep. A leg had slipped free of its fleecy confines and sat sprawled beside them. It was almost endearing, accompanied by their light snores. Peering outside, the grinning giant seemed to have moved on, leaving only crushed vegetation beneath. That was one good thing at least, you mused. There should be enough food leftover for you, and your guest if they woke up. Part of you hoped it would be soon, a selfish part. You didn’t want to have to deal with a dead body, and after what felt like an eternity, you wouldn’t mind the company.</p><p>“Better wake up soon there, sleepy. There’s people worried about you, somewhere. I’m sure of it.”</p><p>You rummaged through the chest, sniffing wrapped bundles and taking several out. They could keep for another few days before they’d need replaced. Preserved meat, some fruits and vegetables. The only positive of having the ground overrun with man-eaters was that they ate man only. Not the reserves that you depended upon. After some consideration, you decided to take some for them too, placing it beside the makeshift pillow. Maybe the smell would wake them.</p><p>You had sauntered over to your own spot, slouching on a messily carved chair as you began to unravel the layers of dried greenery before reaching the venison within. Small bites began to demolish what you had, your eyes remaining locked on the stranger.</p><p>“Why would you come here? There’s nothing here but death and wood. Nothing.”</p><p>They didn’t move.</p><p>“I would fly somewhere else if I were you. Somewhere safer. There’s got to be somewhere like that. Where you don’t have to worry about the giants.”</p><p>“Titans.”</p><p>You flinched slightly as they grumbled.</p><p>“Titans.”</p><p>Slowly they began to move, easing up onto their elbows and blinking blankly at their surroundings.</p><p>“Where...” They trailed off, glancing between you and your meagre campsite.</p><p>“Take it easy, you’re safe here. You were almost eaten. I found you lying there concussed with a big one reaching for you. The hell were you doing getting so close to them?”</p><p>You shuffled your stool closer now, noting how their expression tensed momentarily as you did so.</p><p>“I’m not going to hurt you. Promise.” You placed what was left of your rations on your lap and raised your arms in surrender.</p><p>“It was an abnormal titan. It seemed to fixate only on one person at a time, regardless of how many others it saw,” energy slowly seeped into their voice as they continued, “if I could just capture it, there’s so much I could learn. There hasn’t been any captive since Sawney and Bean. I wouldn’t need to worry about samples dissolving, I could just take more as I needed, I could just,” they spoke with their hands, making some excited jittery gestures. “I need to know more.”</p><p>You gestured to the food packet beside them. “Eat up, you need it.”</p><p>They took the parcel and tentatively unwrapped it, peeling back leaf by leaf and neatly placing the twine beside them.</p><p>“You made this?”</p><p>You nodded. “Who else is gonna do it for me?” </p><p>They began eating, seemingly ruminating over your statement. You hadn’t the faintest who or what Sawney or Bean were, but reluctantly you could understand why they wanted to know more. The extent of your knowledge was keep away, and that had suited you just fine for years.</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>Crumbs stuck to the corners of their mouth.</p><p>“I’m Y/N, Y/N L/N. What about you, stranger?”</p><p>“Hange Zoe. Squad leader, titan researcher, member of the Survey Corps.” </p><p>Hange’s face fell as you offered up no reaction. “Survey Corps?”</p><p>“Ooh,” it clicked, “that’s what you call the flying people, you’re one of them.” </p><p>Strange name, you mused, but if that’s what they wanted, so be it.</p><p>“How far are we from the Walls?”</p><p>You shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve never been near them.”</p><p>Hange was sitting up fully now, blinking at you <br/>incredulously. </p><p>“You mean you’ve lived out here, with titans, in a tree, your whole life? With no ODM gear?”</p><p>You nodded slowly. “Yes? You’ve never lived outside of the Walls, ever?”</p><p>“No, no, no longer than a day or so at a time. It’s too dangerous.” They suddenly quietened.</p><p>“How are you planning to get back? Can you fly?” It was safer to steer the conversation away from questions that could pop up from there.</p><p>“I don’t know,” they sighed. “I’m nearly outta gas, and I’ve only got two flares, I can’t waste them.”</p><p>“Your people might come back for you,” you affirmed. “You can stay here till they do.”</p><p>Hange blinked back at you. “And if they don’t?”</p><p>You shrugged. “We’ll deal with that when, and if, that happens.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Getting used to living with Hange, you've learnt nore from them than you have in years, but all too soon that time is over.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hange had been with you for a week now. The wound on their forehead had practically healed, and as their strength had returned, they were increasingly energetic and eager to learn about your life beyond the Walls. You had shown them how you prepared food, how you wove twine, and how to navigate amongst the treetops even without their flying gizmos. They had absorbed all of this almost immediately, all too eager to follow as you gathered supplies and wrap them in haphazard string bows. In turn, they had attempted to teach you how their ODM worked. They demonstrated how the blades could fall out, and be replaced almost instantaneously with other tucked within the boxy-scabbards. How the triggers fired harpoon-like cables that would allow them to swing between the branches, propelled by gas from canisters. They were graceful as they moved, almost dancing amidst the dappled light of the canopy. Your eyes followed them in a mixture of awe and concern, as you desperately hoped their gear would hold, not only long enough to keep them safe, but long enough for you to continue enjoying their spectacle.</p><p>Three days later, you had given them an old notebook to use, one you mother had given you to practice handwriting as a child, to keep notes. They had been enraptured by the lumbering titans below, calling out to you their metre classes, whether they were abnormal, or even simply what they would call them. You had thought it would be a good idea, something to keep them preoccupied and make their current situation seem almost valuable. Hange seemed to constantly need to be doing something, as a distraction, or due to an innate desire to learn, you couldn’t tell. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Even the simplicity of life, the monotony you had become used to seemed fascinating to them. They had sat by and asked questions about yourself, your family, everything and anything they could. You’d had to be careful to handle their questions, being occasionally vague. Their face would fall slightly at that, and guilt would nip at the pit of your stomach.</p><p>By no means were you ungrateful for the company, nor the help they offered. It had been years since you’d spoken to anyone, you were half surprised that your voice had held out given its lack of use. Hange, however, spoke enough for both of you. Whilst sitting outside, enjoying the fading sunlight, they told you of their comrades, their traits, their exploits. You learned of a Levi Ackerman, small in stature yet the best soldier they’d ever seen irrespective of their typically cold personality, Moblit Berner, their assistant, and one of the few people able to reel them back in, and Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps, a planning mastermind. In a single breath, they had listed off at least three times as many people as you had ever met.</p><p>At night, when the two of you were nestled beside the fire and simply waiting for sleep to take you , they had begun telling you of their experiments. How they studied, why they studied, and particularly about this new kid, Eren. Their face had brightened immensely in the flickering firelight as they spoke of his ability to turn into a titan, to heal, to become the ultimate reusable source of knowledge. You were more than happy to lie and listen to them, though you couldn’t help but wonder. Was this Eren like you, another shapechanger? Or was he something different entirely? The conversation had shifted to their own stunts before you could come to a decision, messing with their comrades, especially this Levi man, and only broken by the occasional small chuckle. A small, budding in your chest warmth seemed to coincide with those chuckles. That nigh you had fallen asleep that night to the sound of their voice, energetic yet smooth, and slept well for what felt like the first time in years.</p><p>“Y/N! Y/N, wake up! I can hear them! I can hear my squad.” Blinking, Hange’s face came into focus. They had a sword in one hand, your shoulder in another, frantically glancing between yourself and the tree’s opening. </p><p>“Come on, I need to find somewhere good to fire off that flare.” They spoke frantically as they attached the boxes to their harness, tightening loops and fiddling with cables. They glanced up at you. “Levi’ll probably be leading, and there’ll be plenty of supplies for me to restock, I should have just enough gas.”</p><p>You sat up now, watching as they frantically paced back and forth. Should you go with them? It wouldn’t hurt to make sure they were reunited with their people safely.</p><p>“I’ll see you off, at least.”</p><p>Heat burned in your cheeks as they wrapped you in a hug. “Perfect, perfect!” They were warm. Comfortably warm. All too soon that warmth was gone.</p><p>You dismissed the feeling, grabbing several food packs and placing them in your satchel, swinging it over your shoulder. You would miss them.</p><p>“Come on Y/N! I can’t miss them!”</p><p>You took off after Hange, gingerly shifting from from foot to foot in rapid succession. A great grin had ensnared their features. Excitement radiated off of them in waves.  You couldn’t help but share their excitement, if only minutely.</p><p>“Cover your ears!” Your hands had just clapped over them when a loud trill shook your skull. Green smoke trailed from the launcher, placed back in their pocket almost immediately.</p><p>You took off the bag and handed it to them. “For the journey back, in case you get stranded, you might need them.”</p><p>Their gaze softened as they rummaged around, noticing the book and pencil in amongst the provisions. </p><p>“You could come with me, you know. It’s not going to be safe here forever Y/N. Things are changing. The Walls aren’t perfect, but at least you don’t have to sleep with one eye open.”</p><p>A pit opened in your stomach. They blinked at you expectantly. </p><p>“I, I can’t Hange. My home, I,” you trailed off. The words wouldn’t come out. Part of you wanted to go, to leave, to run away from the memories that clung to this place, but how could you? They were human. Not shapechanger. What would they do to you, in the Walls, if they found out? Would they experiment on you too? You had grown fond of Hange, moreso than you had expected, but the idea of that ravenous curiosity turned on you? You’d be lying if it didn’t unnerve you.</p><p>“Is it cause you’ve never been to the Walls? You’d get used to it, I promise!”</p><p>You stepped back. </p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p>Their goggles glinted. “I can’t force you, but if you ever reach my outpost,” they clapped you on the shoulder, “you’ll be very welcome.” Saying it out loud, they knew how seemingly impossible it would be. You tapped their hand with yours. </p><p>“And if you ever wind up back here, come and visit.”</p><p>“Try and stop me.”</p><p>You returned that forced smile.</p><p>“Hange!” A voice hollered from your left. You tensed instinctively. </p><p>“Here!” You slipped out of their grasp. </p><p>Hange turned to holler back. “Over here Moblit!”</p><p>A single figure shot forth, coming to a staggering halt on the branch, but you were gone. Instinctively your body had changed, propelling you up amongst the leaves. You were a large cat now, your clothes hanging off of your new body loosely, yet your eyes still strained on your almost friend.<br/>Hange’s head snapped back and forth. They hadn’t seen you go.</p><p>“Y/N! Y/N?” You remained motionless.</p><p>“Squad leader, are you alright?” The newcomer, Moblit you guessed, gingerly inspected them, looking for signs of obvious injury but finding none, much to his apparent approval. </p><p>“Come on then, Commander Erwin’s sent patrols in every direction. Time to get you back home.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Hange nodded, their eyes still strained on the horizon, looking for some sign of you, “alright.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Being alone again is harder than you thought.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It felt colder somehow. Despite being covered in fur and nestled beside the fire, you couldn’t shift the cold from your bones. You sighed. It had been a fortnight now. A slow, uneventful, fourteen days, since Hange had left. The loneliness had never bothered you like this before. Ever since your mother had disappeared, you had been alone. You still missed her, you always would, but time had dulled your longing. You’d searched the whole forest, screamed your throat raw calling, but nothing. She left no note, gave no warning. She had simply disappeared into the night, leaving you to adjust to survival on your own. As time passed, you had grown more accustomed to the silence of loneliness. Focused on the positives. You could come and go as you pleased, leave in the dead of the night for weeks on end, stay up watching the stars, change your form as you liked. No one was there to complain. No one was there to worry. You could disappear off of the face of the earth, and no one would remember you. They would find your home one day, maybe. Ask questions that would remain unanswered till the end of time. </p><p>It was stupid, you scolded yourself, getting this worked up over someone. They’d been with you just over a week. Not a month, not a year, a mere twelve days. Now they were gone. So be it. That was life. People come, people leave. The only constant is you yourself. Yet, despite your constant reaffirmations that you only needed yourself, you still hoped Hange had gotten home safely. Would their friends welcome them? Moblit had certainly seemed overjoyed at their reunion. Would he look after them? How many others were there? What was their base like? How far was it? Was it big, small, one of those stone buildings like the few that were scattered in the forest? The longer you lay lost in thought, the more your questions preyed upon your mind. The fire was retreating now, slinking back into the depths of the embers. You drew your body closer, burying your nose in the fluff of your tail, and entering into a light uneasy slumber, still wondering. </p><p>This repetitive mundane existence continued for another week and a half. Wake up. Hunt. Avoid death. Preserve more food. Mope. Sleep. Wake up. Read. The longer you were alone now, the more you were plagued by the notion that your choice had been the wrong one. Years buried questions tore back up to the forefront of your consciousness. Why hadn’t your mother gone to the Walls? Surely she would have found some place safe there. There were three of them, there had to have been somewhere for you two. Why, then, hadn’t she taken you there? If it really was safer, wouldn’t it be wiser to live there and raise a child, rather than keep them in a tree like some oversized squirrel? The only answer hung heavy in the air. Were humans really worse than titans? You sighed. You hoped not. You had to. You had to believe there were others out there that were good. If not, what was the point? Living in a world where every other being wanted you dead? What was the point of living in a world like that, you had wondered to yourself, as the tendrils of an uneasy slumber dragged you into their inky depths. <br/>Maybe you wouldn’t have felt like this is you had said goodbye properly. If you had made it clear to both of you that that was indeed a farewell, turned down their hope of a future meeting. Closed that door, tightly, and locked it. You hadn’t, stupidly you chided yourself, and now, you found yourself standing at the threshold of that door, shifting from foot to foot and reaching for the doorknob. Two options presented themselves now. You could open the door and walk through, or you could lock it here and now yourself, alone. You paced back and forth. You had nothing to lose, did you? </p><p>The decision was solidified now. You would go. You would find Hange, and you would find out more about the rest of the world, the flying Survey Corps and the Walls themselves. You would just have to be careful, and extremely so. As fascinated as you were by them, you couldn’t help but feel anxious at the thought of being Hange’s latest fixation. Now the decision had been made, you would need to prepare. You had dug out your best bag from the chest behind your stool. It had been custom made by you, the straps were all resizable, designed to be able to adapt to your changing shape. They could be tightened by hands, or indeed, teeth. You took to wrapping dried herbs in spare cloth, wound rope into a ball, packaged food, and laid what few clothes you had on top along with a water container. It wouldn’t be forever, you reminded yourself. You weren’t leaving for good, just a few days, most likely. Then you could come back, content that you had dealt with what had been gnawing at your mind. </p><p>It would be safest to travel at night, you mused, tightening the bag’s lid. Most titans seemed immobile at night, for whatever reason. Granted, they wouldn’t take notice of you unless you were human, it was still unnerving you have to walk alongside their often unnaturally proportioned bodies. Their footsteps often would shake the earth, messing with your gait and reminding you of the raw power their contorted forms possessed. They would look past you, eyes strained on some unknown in the horizon, detached from reality. You suppressed a shiver. It gave you several more hours to plan and prepare at least. If you assumed Hange had travelled in a straight line out of the woods from the direction you last saw them, you would simply have to follow the invisible trail. Should be easy enough. There had to be some trace of them, especially when they had no reason to hide their tracks. Hange had mentioned the difficulties of flying with nothing to grab onto once, when they were showing how the mechanism on the handle worked. Would they have to run back to their base then? You couldn’t imagine it would be that far if it were true. Regardless, you were determined to find it. </p><p>It was near freezing when you finally hit the forest floor. The moon was half full, granting just enough light for you to see comfortably. You had taken the form of a wolf now, its body would be able to handle the trek ahead. It wasn’t as fast as other bodies, but was gifted with enough stamina to run for days on end. For all you knew, you would need it. The supplies rustled slightly as you took off into a bound, hurtling over exposed roots and between bushes. You had missed this, the feeling as the wind tore through your fur, the sensation of earth beneath your pads and grass clumping between your claws. You pitied humans. They would never know this freedom, this openness, so long as the titans continued their onslaught. </p><p>Your ears swivelled to the left. One sat hunched over, limp, its skin near translucent in the nightlight, barely hiding its protruding ribs. It paid no heed to you as you tore past. You were thankful, as ever. The trees had begun to thin. You were confident you were still on the right track, and now as the scent of horse flooded your senses, you were proven right. Tracks, human and equine, were muddled and intertwined. They bore the scents of ODM gas, sweat and humans. In amongst them had to be Hange, you mused. Yet amidst the cacophony, you couldn’t pick them out. That made more sense at least, they would uses the horses to travel long distances.</p><p>“That way.” The indentations in the earth seemed to continue for as far as the eye could see into the horizon, weaving back and forth, stopping and starting as their makers had fought for their lives. It would be a long night ahead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Part four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Having reached their base, you begin to try and integrate.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The base was bigger than you had imagined. Huge, in fact. You had tentatively skirted round the edges, padding beyond the reach of the glinting torchlight, admiring the building in its fullest as it was bathed in the first light of morning. Stained glass windows, which you had only seen in books, were placed gingerly amidst the ornate bricks of the great structure. You counted at least twelve of those windows as you had circled around. You were confident too that it could house at least a hundred people, if not more. Corridors seemed heaped on one another creating a veritable maze. A courtyard paved with age worn stone seemed the centre of the entire facility, edged with vegetation creeping up through the cracks, and with ample space. Attached to it was a separate building for horses, a stable, you were near sure of the name, and near every stall seemed occupied. Suddenly it made sense for the courtyard to be so be large. Coats of browns, burgundies and blacks, all nestled together, shifted uneasily within their confines upon noticing you. Casting a sideways glance, you scampered back into the retreating shadows, for fear of causing a ruckus.</p><p>A general bustle echoed from the walls as the light grew. You hadn’t planned this far ahead. Getting here was the goal. That was achieved. What was the next post? Your first priority was to hide your backpack. If it was left out in the open Keep yourself hidden, for now at least. You wanted, needed to learn more about how this place worked. Who went where and when, where Hange would be, and, rather importantly, did everyone walk around with swords all the time? You had taken to obscuring your belongings in a tree some thirty odd metres from the building, securing it in the uppermost branches and praying it wouldn’t rain. What body, then? A wolf would scare them. Not as big of a threat as a titan, but enough to put down on sight. A mouse would be liable to be stepped on, a rat to be killed as vermin. A house animal, then? A cat. Cats were generally unthreatening, the size of them. Less so than a dog, often. Cat it would be. You shook yourself as your skeleton reshaped, muscles snapping, contracting, contorting, until only a small ball of fluff was left.</p><p>You blinked down at your paws. You were tiny, tinier than you’d ever been. Your fur was sleek, short, H/C and well preened. You experimentally unsheathed your newly formed claws, and revelled in their sharpness. They would do just fine to help you manoeuvre this new environment. Your head snapped over to the courtyard. Several soldiers were pacing around it now, off to do whatever they did in the mornings. You dropped to the ground, keeping yourself low. None of them had seen you as you scampered past, not yet at least. You would hide in the stable, it seemed as good a place as any for a cat. People would be less likely to chase you off from there if they thought you would keep mice down. </p><p>The horses didn’t mind you now, small and unthreatening as you were, as you wove between their legs searching for somewhere warm. The exhaustion of running for hours on end and two transformations had finally caught up with you, and for now, you first priority was a nap. You could learn more later. An unoccupied stall in the back seemed as appealing as anything, with enough hay that it could be made into a makeshift nest. Stalk ends dug into your skin like needles as you wove them into place, but once they were flattened, it was surprisingly comfortable. Warm, spongy, and just quiet enough to lull you to sleep in a matter of heartbeats. </p><p>“Hello there.”</p><p>You grumbled, attempting to hide your face further under your forepaw, hoping the disembodied voice would leave you in peace.</p><p>“Where’d you come from?”</p><p>You flinched slightly as a warm hand plunged into your fur, rubbing patterns into your skin. A single eye opened, and you were greeted to someone looking at you in fascination. However, not Hange. A kid. Blonde, and wearing that same uniform. You lifted your head, leaning into his touch as he gingerly laced an ear around your ear. An involuntary purr rumbled in your chest. You could see why cats put up with humans.</p><p>“Aw, do you like that kitty?” </p><p>He chuckled softly at your reaction. There was a gentleness to him, you mused as you blinked up at his face. Blue eyes gazed down at you, filled with the simple pleasure of interacting with an animal. He didn’t look like a soldier, he seemed far too innocent. </p><p>You stretched, stepping out of your nest and butting his boot with your head. It was instinctive, and judging from his expression, the kid liked it.</p><p>“Aren’t you a cutie. You hungry kitty? Thirsty?”</p><p>You mewed in agreement. Now that he mentioned it, you were. The shadows had shifted since you had closed your eyes, it seemed mid afternoon now. Several horses had left, and more soldiers had congregated in the courtyard in groups. They seemed in good spirits, jostling and joking amongst themselves. The kid gave you one final stroke before turning on his heels and heading off, likely to get you that promised snack. You followed him as far as the entrance, stopping to bask in the sunlight and wait for him there. You could get a good view of the whole building here in the centre. Heavy wooden doors creaked with use by a set of steps. It seemed one of the main entrances.</p><p>The blonde had scampered through those doors, pushing past his comrades to be swallowed up by the interior. You scanned the faces of those outside. All so unfamiliar, all so unique. You saw more faces in that separate blink than you’d seen in a lifetime. What were their lives like, you wondered. You weren’t entirely sure you wanted to know. Each life had been touched by the titans, in one way or another, and never positive. Yet they still found the strength to keep going, to keep fighting, to just keep on living. You weren’t entirely sure you could do the same. <br/>You gaze snapped back as the blonde soldier came back into view. He bore two dishes, walking slowly in an attempt to save their precious contents.</p><p>“It’s not much, but it’s all we have at the minute. I’m sure you’d rather have meat.”</p><p>He placed the two before you. Bread and water. It smelt fresh, and felt soft as you tore off your first mouthfuls. It was like nothing you’d ever tasted. Your own cooking had nothing on this. It was demolished in under a minute, before you turned to the water and downed as much as you could, licking the final few droplets from your chin.</p><p>“You were hungry then. Not enough mice, hm?”</p><p>Your nose wrinkled. You’d have to be desperate to eat a mouse. </p><p>“Armin!"</p><p>A new voice beckoned the kid from the courtyard. Armin. The name suited him somehow.</p><p>“Coming! I’ll bring you more tomorrow, ok kitty?”</p><p>You purred in agreement. A soft smile played on his lips. He waved as he took off to meet his friends, presumably. Another boy, and a girl, all of similar ages. Humans couldn’t be that bad. The second one you’d met had cared for you, small innocent and vulnerable as you were. Slowly you were starting to believe your decision was the right one.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all so much for reading!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Part five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You reunite with Hange, but, now how you thought you would.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You had watched the soldiers until the sun had set, moving only when the disappeared horses were returned to their stalls. You received a few inquisitive stares, dismissing them with an innocent sounding mew. They had shrugged and continued their own chatter, complaining about some captain or other or the fact that they were due up at first light. Once night fell, your expedition would begin. It was just a matter of getting inside. <br/>There lay the main issue. You could imagine that strolling in the front door as a human would lead to some, issues. You’d be tackled to the ground, hands tied, interrogated, and you couldn’t count on Hange’s assertions you weren’t a threat. Maybe they’d just pop your head off of your shoulders there and then. Thus, in the interest of keeping your head where it was, you had decided to slip inside still wearing your current skin. You just needed to find an open window, a cracked door, anything. Then you could begin your search. For Hange, and everything in between. Their weapons, their books, their everything. You trotted closer to the walls, sniffing at the structure. It smelt old. Maybe even older than the books you had kept at home. You could faintly hear chatter and footsteps, but not nearly as much as earlier. Increasing your pace, you found exactly what you were looking for, a door left ajar. Perfect.</p><p>You slipped inside, shivering slightly as the cool stone hit your pads. At least outside had retained some of the sun’s warmth. Torchlight flickered against the stone walls. You had come to a junction. Heart thrumming, you turned down the quieter passage and began scenting the air. Nothing yet, at least. Various doors sped past as you kept up your pace. You couldn’t tell what they were for, bedrooms maybe? Nosing the closest open a crack more, it was indeed. Beds stacked up on top of one another You sniffed again. Something faint this time. If you kept following in this direction, you might just be able to find Hange. What then? Paw at their door until someone noticed you? You shook out your fur. You’d cross that bridge when you came to it.</p><p>A least another half a dozen paces and you once again became disorientated. It was dark inside, far darker than you had been used to. Why not build more windows? Boots thumped on the stone and you were drawn from your wonderings. People. You darted further along, only to crash into the very thing you’d been trying to avoid. You slowly glanced up, only to meet the eyes of a man that seemed entirely unhappy with your presence. He was short, cropped back hair, and a glare that you were convinced could send a titan running. </p><p>“Levi!” You knew that voice. You stumbled backwards and hurried towards it, coming to a sliding halt at their feet. Your eyes sent a silent beg to your would be saviour, Hange.</p><p>“You got a cat? Aw, why didn’t you tell me? It’s so cute!”</p><p>You yelped slightly as you were suddenly lifted upwards, and cradled into their chest. They ran a finger under your chin, continuing to coo and hum.</p><p>“It’s not mine,” the man, Levi, took several paces closer. “Never seen the thing before. Now put it down, you don’t know where it’s been.”</p><p>“Aww, but look at it,” Hange bounced you slightly. They pushed the fluff from your cheeks forward. “How can you say no to this face?”</p><p>Levi looked unblinkingly from Hange to you, and then back once more. “Very easily. Put it outside.” </p><p>“If it’s not yours, then I’ll keep it. It might be interesting. I’ve never studied animals in much detail.”</p><p>Levi seemed visibly frustrated by their antics, yet simply let out a resigned sigh.</p><p>“Whatever. Just make sure it sure it doesn’t make a mess.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be very well behaved, don’t you think whiskers?” You mewed softly as you were enveloped in a hug. It was warm. Hange was warm. You were quite sure if they had held you there for much longer you would have fallen asleep.</p><p>“Erwin was looking for you, put that thing somewhere and meet him in his office.” With that, Levi turned on his heels and strode off, back into the labyrinthine corridors.</p><p>“Mr Grumpy doesn’t know what he’s talking about, you’re going to be the best kitty ever, aren’t you?” </p><p>You were clinging to their jacket now as they moved, yet still trying desperately to keep your claws from hurting them. Had they missed you? You blinked up at their face, watching as the torchlight danced around the rim of their glasses. A pit in your stomach hoped they had. Your journey would have been pointless otherwise. </p><p>“You’re gonna stay in my room with me, it’s nice and warm, the bed’s big enough for both of us.” For some reason your face felt hot at the idea of sharing a bed, even looking as you did now. <br/>They came to a halt outside a room at the end of a corridor, propping you up with one hand and opening the door with the other. </p><p>“Welcome to your new home!” </p><p>The room was somewhat disorganised, with papers, books and flasks piled atop one another, nearly hiding the wood of their desk entirely. Bookcases packed with more volumes than you’d ever seen were plastered to the walls. Another door at the back sat half open. </p><p>“Now, please don’t eat anything from in here, I probably need it.” They tiptoed over a pile of scrolls. “Oh, and it may be lethal, so definitely don’t.” <br/>It explained their scent at least. </p><p>“Back here then,” they elbowed the second door open, “is my bedroom. Less chemicals, a bit more pet friendly.”</p><p>You were placed on their bed, unmade from its last night of use.</p><p>“Now,” they checked their reflection in the mirror, straightening their ponytail somewhat, “wait here while I go see Erwin, alright? I’ll be back soon.” They gave a final wave as they closed the door, leaving you alone, finally.</p><p>The bedroom was indeed somewhat neater, with a smaller desk illuminated by candlelight in the corner. A sofa, small bookshelf, and an attached bathroom. It had everything they could need. You leapt off the bed and padded towards the desk. Tensing your shoulders, you just about managed to scramble atop it. You missed being able to just walk like a human. </p><p>Notes, and a single notebook. You gingerly hooked a claw under the cover. Ilse Langnar, the book was labelled. Thankfully, you were able to read the language it was written in. Skimming through another several pages, you realised it was a field journal, written by this Langnar person, documenting their journey through the military and life. Their successes, their shortcomings, everything in between. An entire personal history in a single book. <br/>You soon became engrossed in the small tome, turning pages over using your paws and nose. You’d never seen anything like it, they had written down everything and anything they could, including, you realised with horror, their own death. You pushed it away. You couldn’t bring yourself to finish it. </p><p>“I’m back!” </p><p>You leapt off the desk and clambered back onto the bed, ruffling your fur slightly as if you had been asleep. </p><p>“You been asleep? Wish I could’ve slept through that. Erwin always prattles on about paperwork.” They reached down and gently patted your head. You purred into it. </p><p>“Give me another five minutes, and then I’ll come and give you snuggles.” <br/>Again heat flushed under your skin. </p><p>They grabbed a new shirt and disappeared into the bathroom, humming until their voice was swallowed by running water. Should you run? It felt somewhat invasive, you reasoned, you weren’t an actual innocent animal, you were you. Would they get mad if they knew? You scanned the wall. There was indeed a window, but it was locked. You couldn’t have opened it. If you shifted, there was no guarantee it’d be in time, and then what would Hange think, finding you naked in their bedroom? No. You would just have to stay the night.</p><p>Several minutes later, they emerged from the bathroom. You stole a quick glance before avoiding eye contact. They were in an oversized shirt, still clinging to their skin with damp in some spots. They had let their hair down and allowed it to spill over their shoulders. Again your cheeks and ears burnt. You made a point to turn your back and lay down. It didn’t last long, as the bed shuddered under Hange’s weight.</p><p>“Aw, c’mon, no snuggles?”</p><p>As soon as they were safely wrapped up under their blankets, again they reached for you. You tensed, but allowed them to draw you closer, wrapping an arm over your small furry body, and sighing in content.</p><p>“You’re like a fuzzy hot water bottle, do you know that?” Their voice was becoming heavy with tiredness. Your heart was near in your mouth.</p><p>“Night night, kitty.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Part five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You begin your integration into the scouts, and gain a new nickname.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You were the first to wake up. An arm lay draped over your small body, holding you half a hand’s length from their chest. You blinked the sleep from your eyes, and turned to look at Hange. Their face was soft, content, half submerged in the white of their pillow. Your mind was drawn back to the first time you’d seen them like this, when you had rescued them, and wrapped in blankets with dried blood matting their hair. You much preferred it like this, safe, and warm. You were half tempted to use a paw to smooth the hair from their face. It couldn’t hurt, could it? You extended a shaky forepaw and moved a single strand, watching as their nose scrunched. </p><p>You flinched as they groaned, pulling you closer. You could feel their heartbeat through their pyjamas, the heat radiating from their skin. It was a comforting continuous thud when compared to your own rapid one. Would they sleep so soundly if they knew it was you? </p><p>“Don’t go, fluffy. S’cosy here.” </p><p>Yet again your ears burned. Their voice was heavy, low with sleep, offering up a blissfully innocent request. Their grip tightened, both arms now held you close, flooding your senses with them. Your heart felt as if it’d leap out of your throat. The strange guilt at your position was swallowed by your desire to comply, to snuggle back down. You wanted to stay there. Hange had been kind, was kind, to you. You slowly realised that you wanted to stay by them, but why? Even with your limited exposure to other people, they had almost immediately become your favourite. You wanted to become one of their favourites, too. Yet, to do that, you’d have to show yourself as a human, the human they knew and promised welcome. You didn’t want to be a cat to them forever. Would they even want to see you? What if they had simply said in in an act of good faith, convinced you’d never be able to find them? You sighed. You would have to find out yourself, and with a newfound resignation, you were convinced you would. </p><p>Three hours later you were up and about, padding alongside Hange as they absentmindedly rifled through their papers, mumbling about how they’d definitely left it there only yesterday, and  how hard could it be without it. You snorted in amusement. For someone so smart, given the state of their room, you weren’t surprised their documents had gone missing. Moblit, the man who you had seen come and find them, peeked through the doorway. </p><p>“Squad leader, Eren Jaegar and Captain Levi are ready to head out to the testing grounds.” </p><p>His eyes landed on you, and his face contorted into a quizzical stare. </p><p>“There’s a cat, in your room.” </p><p>“There is indeed Moblit. Fluffy’s going to stay with me from now on, shorty didn’t want her, so I said I would.” </p><p>Hange turned to smile at you. For them, you would accept being called ‘fluffy’. </p><p>“With respect, do you actually know how to take care of a cat?” </p><p>Moblut had fixed you with a pitying look. You shook out your fur. They were bound to, weren’t they? You desperately searched Hange’s face for some indication of their disagreement with his statement. You swallowed as you realised there was none. </p><p>“No, but, how hard can it be?” They threw a hand over their head in exasperation. “I looked after Sawney and Bean, and they were fine.” </p><p>“Squad leader, they were titans. They needed no real care. We had to take care of you to stop you from getting eaten.” </p><p>You turned to Hange with wide eyes. You knew they were fascinated by them, but couldn’t help but feel concerned at the prospect of their future endeavours. Moblit had been there to stop them once, and so had you. You would just have to pray that someone would be there in the future. </p><p>“Oh, don’t look at me like that. They’ll be fine, won’t you fluffy? I’ll leave them outside while we’re out so they can’t get into any trouble. Now, hurry up and help me find Tuesday’s documentation on experiment 346.” </p><p>You mewed in agreement. Moblit turned to start rummaging in the bookcase closest. You in turn shuffled to the closest shelf, and cast your eye over its various contents. One book stuck out to you. Hange’s scent, still fresh, clung to its cover. This could be the one they were looking for. Gently, you took the corner in your teeth and pulled. It tumbled forward, heavier than you had anticipated, and with a yelp, you leapt clear of the flurry of paper. </p><p>At once the two people turned to you, with Hange stooping down to pat your head before rummaging through the pile. </p><p>“That’s the one, right there. Good one fluffy.” </p><p>With the book in one hand, they scooped you up with the other, quietly cooing over what a clever kitty you were. It was stupid, but you couldn’t deny the warmth you felt at their praise. Your legs swung loosely as they moved down the corridors. It was busier now, with numerous soldiers all dressed in that same uniform, stopping to offer their greetings to the duo. Squad leader. You looked up at Hange, who was visibly excited at the day’s prospects. It must be a high enough rank, you mused. How long had they been here, you couldn’t help but wonder. </p><p>You were placed down outside, back in the courtyard, squinting as your eyes readjusted to the harsh sunlight. A team stood by their horses shuffling impatiently, seemingly waiting for Hange to depart. The small man from the night before, Levi, was among them, along with one of the kids you had seen Armin with the other day. From this distance you couldn’t figure out which one of the throng was a titan shifter, but you couldn’t help but wonder. </p><p>“Hurry it up, I’ve got things to do today!” </p><p>The captain mounted his horse, the majority of the group following in kind. Without another word, he spurred his horse on, leaving them in the dust of its hooves. </p><p>“Alright, alright, keep your cravat on!” By the time Hange and Moblit had mounted in kind, the duo forced their horses to a sprint, calling out to the ever shrinking shapes of their comrades until they themselves were specks swallowed by the grass. </p><p>Most of the gathered soldiers had disbanded now, their comrades gone, and returned to whatever predetermined tasks they’d been set. You trotted over to the stables, and nosed through the stalls. Sure enough, Armin had stood by his word, and there sat two new dishes of food and water. After finishing your meal, you gave a contented hum. You should thank him at some point, somehow, though you weren’t entirely sure how. Maybe when you were human. Careful that no one was paying too much attention to you, you headed towards the three your bag was lodged in. Casting a quick glance upwards, it was still there. Perfect. With Armin feeding you, you had no immediate need for your provisions, they could stay safe and some sort of safety blanket. Now, for the next part of your plan, you would need one of those complicated looking uniforms. </p><p>You had planned to blend in first and foremost. To do that, you would have to look like the rest of them, and simply hope that no one would realise they had never seen you before. There had to be some sort of storage room with spares in somewhere like this. You just had to find it first.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Part seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You meet Armin, but, properly this time.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You had searched for three hours. Nothing. Not yet, at least. Word had spread, and it seemed to have become universally accepted that, as Hange’s cat, you were allowed to roam the castle. There were a few stares, but no one had attempted to force you back outside, which you were thankful for. There was no guarantee you could get back inside.</p><p>Despite your failure so far, you’d managed to mentally map a good portion of the base within your head. Or, at least, come differentiate the different scents from different locations, from the mustiness of the basement to the aroma of the kitchen. It would undoubtedly prove helpful, somehow. You had brought yourself to another windowless dead end and swallowed a hiss of frustration. How damn hard was it to find a spare uniform? You headed back again, tasting the air once more. Something smelt fresh. Pleasantly fresh. You tried to place the smell. Hange’s bedroom, their bedclothes. Laundry room. </p><p>You hurried closer. The door was barely ajar, hooking your claws in the wood, you pulled it further. It smelt clean, vaguely floral. You padded inside. Bunching your shoulders you hauled yourself atop the lowest shelf. Sheets, sheets, uniforms. You purred in delight. Shirts, trousers, and more of those buckle things they always wore. You cast a glance behind you. No one. You pushed the door closed with your head, and after double checking no one was coming, you transformed. The ground rapidly ran from you as you regained your height. You just needed to find ones which fitted now. A grey shirt, only slightly larger than you. Perfect. A pair of those white trousers and jacket and you were halfway there. Now, however, you had to figure out how these belt buckles worked.</p><p>The two longest you determined were legs, and the large ‘x’ looking piece was for your back. Then, things started to make more sense. You were half afraid to bend your knees, for fear something would snap or come undone, resulting in a rather awkward waddle as you put the boots on.</p><p>“I’ve got this, I’ve got this.” </p><p>You inhaled, exhaled. Just walk out, walk around a bit, you looked exactly like them, they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It’d be fine. Completely.</p><p>Your legs shook slightly as you opened the door, turning on your heels you began back down the way you had come. Several other soldiers passed by, but they paid you no heed. Perfect. Perfect. You could walk several laps of the building and wait in Hange’s room. A relatively flawless plan, if you could say so yourself. You recognised several faces now, vaguely, from around the castle. You couldn’t name any of them, however, just nameless extensions of the wings motif. You shuffled past them, trying to avoid to eye contact. It was a lot quicker on two legs now. Even with the discomfort of the straps, it was refreshing.</p><p>So immersed in your own thoughts, you crashed into someone. You flinched. They were shorter than you, blonde. Armin. </p><p>“S-sorry, I was miles away.”</p><p>Armin stood back, flushing in embarrassment.  </p><p>“No problem, I wasn’t paying much attention myself.” </p><p>He looked up at you now. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Armin, Armin Arlert.”</p><p>You blinked at his outstretched hand. Shake it, you dumbass, you chided yourself, before obliging.</p><p>“Y/N, Y/N L/N. Pleasure to meet you.”</p><p>Armin smiled at that. It seemed Hange hadn’t told anyone about your experiences together, or at least, if they had, it hadn’t reached the cadet before you.</p><p>“Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around.”</p><p>“Yes, uh, just been moved here from another base, I’ve been sent to help Hange.” You prayed he wouldn’t be able to prove you wrong.</p><p>“Ah, that makes sense. Hange’s generally,” he trailed off, searching for the right word, “disorganised.”</p><p>You smiled in agreement. From what you’d seen of them, you could agree, yet in someway, it was endearing.</p><p>“Hange’s out with Eren and the Captain at the moment, but they should be back before sunset. Would you like me to show you around a bit?”</p><p>“Yes.” You answered almost immediately. “This place is like a maze.”</p><p>Armin chuckled lightly. </p><p>“Yeah, it took me some time to figure out too.”</p><p>The soldier showed you everything. The elites’ rooms, the barracks, dungeons, kitchen, laundry rooms, supply closets and everything in between. Your head reeled as you tried to mentally note everything. You had been used to living in a single room for years, but this castle seemed to have rooms for everything and anything possible. The tour had taken several hours. You had eaten lunch together in the mess hall, and Armin had taken the liberty of introducing you to several other soldiers who had graduated alongside him. Sasha, Connie, Jean, and two larger men that smelt strange, Bertolt and Reiner. It seemed no one else was aware of it. You smiled at them as they offered their greetings and made light conversation, before descending into bickering as Sasha attempted to swipe another bread roll. They were all so different, but so similar. Looking at them, how they interacted, how obviously they cared for each other, you couldn’t help but assume your mother was wrong. The humans before you seemed innocent. They weren’t inherently evil, they couldn’t be. You couldn’t help but smile at them.</p><p>He took you to the courtyard last, bringing with him another plate of food and water for ‘fluffy’. Your stomach twisted in mild guilt. He was a good kid. He called out for it.</p><p>“Maybe she went back home,” he shrugged, taking the used dishes, “she hasn’t been here long.”</p><p>“I’m sure she’ll come back,” you assured him, “especially with someone like you to look after her.”</p><p>He nodded, reluctantly agreeing. “I guess.”</p><p>The sun hung low now. The procession should come back soon, if what you had been told was indeed correct. You turned to Armin, you would wait in their office for Hange. The thought of so many armed soldiers was rather off-putting when you had just managed the courage to don the uniform. You weren’t entirely confident you could hold human form if instinct told you to run, and quite frankly, that was the last thing you needed. You’d be dead in half a heartbeat. He nodded, affirming he had things to do before they came back. So, with a final wave, he left you.</p><p>You were able to find Hange’s room easily this time, and slipped inside. Nothing had changed, you mused, you were simply seeing it from another angle. From your new height, the extent of the mess became even more apparent. Papers were heaped on top of papers, dousing every available surface in a crinkled handwritten snow. You sighed. Should you tidy? You lifted a stray sheet from the closest desk, squinting at their diagrams and notes. You could vaguely male out the face of what seemed like a titan. The writing seemed almost intelligible, and part of a stack. Flipping through several more, you found the missing sheets and placed them together, folding the top corner to keep them together. There was no harm in doing another couple, was there? It would keep you occupied, at least, and if you were indeed their ‘assistant’, you probably should.</p><p>Half an hour later, most of the papers had been sorted, books, vaguely alphabetised, and pens and pencils returned to what you could only assume were their original pots. You’d have to explain your system to them, you mused, otherwise the chaos would return with a vengeance. Now, you just had to wait.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Those harnesses are a nightmare to put on and take off. Took me an hour to get it on and I couldn't even walk prooerly in it, just had to waddle around the con.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Part eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You finally get to properly meet Hange again.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Minutes had turned to hours. You had sorted, tidied, sat, shuffled, and still, nothing. Neither hide nor hair of Hange. They had to be back soon. It’d be dark. They wouldn’t be able to see as well in the dark. Had they gotten hurt? The idea sat uneasily on your shoulders, whispering uncertainties into your ears. No. If the experiment had failed, there would have had to be some indication. A smoke signal, like the one you had seen them use in the forest, a messenger, noise, anything. They were fine. You sighed. They had to be. They were just late. Then again, they wouldn’t be expecting anyone. You slouched further on your chair. You were half tempted to nosey through one of the hundreds of tomes lining the walls,, but ultimately thought better of the idea. For all you knew, they could be personal. You couldn’t possibly delve further than you already had. You would just have to sit and twiddle your thumbs for a bit longer.</p><p>You groaned. Something now was poking you. At the back of your head, something chided you to respond, but yet again, you didn’t. You were comfy.</p><p>“Sorry kid, I need my desk. I need to write this up while it’s still fresh, so you’re gonna need to find somewhere else to slack off from Levi’s cleaning duties.”</p><p>The surface you had rested of your head on shuddered. You groaned.</p><p>“Come on sleepy, up you get.”</p><p>You squinted as you were hauled up by the collar. Just as the room came into focus, you realised who it was had taken you by the scruff like a kitten. Your eyes widened.</p><p>“Hang-“</p><p>You cursed as your head dropped back suddenly onto the desk. </p><p>“Ah, ow. Nice to see you too,” you chuckled through your teeth, cradling your head in your hands.  </p><p>“Y/N...” Hange trailed off, as if unable to believe it was you they had just allowed to face plant. </p><p>You stood up, brushing off your dishevelled uniform in an attempt to look somewhat more presentable. The throbbing in your forehead was unimportant now. They looked exactly as you remembered, goggles perched on their forehead, and their hair styled in that distinctly Hange style. Only now, you were only slightly shorter than them, and whiskerless.</p><p>“Decided to take you up on that offer, it started to get boring without you. Titans aren’t good for holding conversations.” </p><p>Heat burned in your cheeks as they studied you silently. Were they angry you had come? You searched their face. They didn’t look angry, yet you couldn’t quite place what emotion was twisting their features like that. </p><p>You flinched as they took another step closer, and after another half second of studying, Hange wrapped you in a hug. You froze as their warmth enveloped your senses. They had held you as a cat, yes, but not like this. It felt innately personal, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like it. Gingerly, you lifted your arms, and held Hange in turn. You began to relax into it, allowing yourself to bury your nose in their jacket and breathe in their scent. It was as if the tension dropped from your shoulders as you held them close. Hange still had said nothing, yet, they weren’t pushing you away. You had to take that as a positive, at least. </p><p>“I, I honestly didn’t know if I’d see you again. I thought you’d be stuck there. You didn’t even have a horse.” Their voice was quiet, subdued, for once.</p><p>“You didn’t think you’d get rid of me that easy, did you?” Your heart continued to thrum as you spoke. They had missed you. Selfishly, you were glad.</p><p>They moved you back, holding your shoulders still. A soft smile pulled up the corners of their lips.</p><p>“Look at you, here, now. I didn’t recognise you in the uniform. I didn’t know who it was, but not, I didn’t expect you.”</p><p>“Sorry, I just, I didn’t want anyone to think I wasn’t meant to be here. Everyone has swords. I can give it back, here,” you trailed off as you began to fiddle with the buckle on your chest. Bad idea. Don’t be a thief Y/N.</p><p>“No, no, keep it. It fits. We’ve got plenty.” They shooed your hands away. They smiled softly. “Honestly, it suits you.”</p><p>“I’ll take that as a compliment,” you mirrored their smile. “Sorry for falling asleep on your desk, I thought you’d be here sooner.”</p><p>This time, they laughed. “I should have but, you should have seen it.” Their eyes glazed over in wonder, their cheeks flushed. “Eren’s titan, it’s beautiful. Gorgeous. He’s huge, nowhere was big as the colossal, but, huge, and, intelligent. He could communicate, not with words but still. Compactly muscular...” They began rifling through their papers now, and pulled out a sketch of something that looked just human and titan enough to be wholly unnerving. Its features were angular, lipless, with a rather pointed chin. You’d never seen anything like it. </p><p>“Look at him, isn’t he magnificent?” Their voice was higher pitched now, and they were visibly excited. They loved this. “Buuuut, then short stack started getting pissy, said we had to get back before dark.” Hange sighed. Obviously, they’d wanted to do more. “Just not enough hours in the day. I’d wanted to test his rates of regeneration. But, anyway, are you planning to stay, or is this a drop in thing?”</p><p>“Oh, well,” you scratched the back of your neck, “that depends on whether you want me here.” It was true. You wanted to see them, but, you wouldn’t be so selfish as to stay if they didn’t want you here. You had survived on your own before, and you could do it again. Even if they only wanted ‘fluffy’, not you, you could deal with it.</p><p>“Of course I want you here.” Hange blinked at you incredulously, as if you’d struck them across the face, “Why do you think I asked you to come? You actually took an interest in my research, you’ve lived outside the walls even after the fall. I find that fascjnating.”</p><p>You shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never been around people much. I just wanted to make sure. What if you changed your mind when you got home, or they don’t allow outsiders here? I don’t want to get you in trouble.”</p><p>Hange shook their head. “Well, that’s stupid. You’ve lived among titans in the forest, you’re bound to know things we can use, and don’t underestimate me. I can wear Erwin down to the point he agrees, believe me.”</p><p>Somehow, you could see that.</p><p>“You’re going to be staying with me then. Unless you want to stay in the barracks –“</p><p>“No, no,” you shook off the thought. “I’d, I’d like to stay here with you.”</p><p>Hange nodded, seemingly pleased with your answer. “I might need bunk beds. Do we have bunk beds? You ever slept in a bunk bed? Probably not, but they’re fun. Moblit’ll know if we have any. And blankets, extra blankets. Pillows. Pyjamas? Pyjamas.”</p><p>They were planning to go get it now, you realised, and before they could move, you grabbed their hand.</p><p>“Don’t bother him now, I’m sure he’s tired. I can sleep on the floor, I don’t mind.”</p><p>“No guest of mine is sleeping on the floor.”</p><p>They trailed off, tapping their foot as they thought. </p><p>“Then you can share my bed.”</p><p>You blinked. How were they so nonchalant about that? </p><p>“No, no –“</p><p>Hange obviously found your embarrassment amusing. </p><p>“Don’t get so uptight now, Y/N, we practically shared a bed before. It’ll be fine. You don’t snore. Much.”</p><p>Snoring wasn’t what you were worried about.</p><p>“My bathroom’s back there, I can go wash up in the other bathroom down the hall, you’ve got five minutes!”</p><p>Hange had thrown you a large shirt before they’d slipped out the door. It smelt like them. You were going to wear this? Only this? Heat climbed up the back of your neck at the mere thought. Were they going to wear just that? You suppressed the image that popped into your head and shook yourself. Get ready, you reminded yourself. You panic later.</p><p>You splashed your face with cold water. Did you smell ok? You hoped the smell of the soap would cling to your skin. You didn’t want to smell like an animal. You could hear the door open. They were back. You hurried into your pyjamas.</p><p>“Hurry it up Y/N, I’m going to bed, and I will hog the duvet!”</p><p>It had begun to dawn on you that your fondness for Hange was more than just a friend. Granted, you’d had very few friends, but the way your gut twisted when they smiled, you knew there was something else, even if you weren’t entirely sure what it was . You cared what they thought of you, and to be brutally honest, it terrified you. You cast one final glance at yourself in the mirror, attempting to smooth your hair. You’d be fine, you half pleaded with yourself.</p><p>Hange’s hair was splayed in the pillow, as they lay looking at you expectantly. You froze.</p><p>“Come on then, it’s cold.”</p><p>You stepped closer. They didn’t seemed worried in the slightest, instead seemingly increasingly drowsy. Hange watched as you slipped into the bed alongside them, eyes half lidded, shuffling to make room for you. Their warmth had seeped onto your half. They smelt fresh, almost floral, on the pillow opposite. Your heart thrummed. How were you meant to sleep like this?</p><p>“Nighty night then, sleep well!”</p><p>The final candle was blown out, and the two of us were plunged into darkness. Before long, their breathing had settled into a soft monotony, trusting you completely. It would be a long night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all so much for reading, leaving kudos and commenting &lt;3 honestly, it means the world to me that you guys like my stuff</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Part nine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We all need some soft Hange every so often</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You lay awake for hours that night. Hange had fallen asleep almost immediately, snoring away contentedly, their back to you. You had caught them twitching several times, mumbling something incoherent and gripping the sheets, before relaxing and settling back into monotony. Each time, you would hold your breath, for fear of rousing them, only giving into your lungs’ desires once they started to beg. A large part of you was touched. You knew to fall asleep by someone, to be that vulnerable, had to be a big deal, despite their apparent indifference to sharing a bed. A silent affirmation you were trusted, reinforced by every sigh and grumble. You continued to stare at their back until finally the weight of your eyelids lulled you to oblivion.</p><p>A weight had sent you to sleep, and yet another now brought you back. It was warm, heavy on your chest, almost like a sun warmed stone. In your stupor, you reasoned someone must be on top of you. It took several minutes for the realisation to sink in that there could be only one person doing so. You pried one eye open at a time, half afraid of what you’d see. Hange’s hair was splayed across your chest, hanging in disorganised brown waves, with their face half squished into your shirt. Their arms were around your waist, their legs entangled in your own, their body entwined with yours. In every way possible, they had eliminated the space between you. They weren’t cuddling you, so much as being wrapped around you like a human blanket. Amidst the rapid thrumming of your heart, you couldn’t help but smile. It was a surprise to see them like this, yes, but a very welcome one. You’d been afraid you would wake up alone, Hange having left. After a minute of hesitation, you took your own clammy arms and wrapped them around your sleeping companion. You tensed as they groaned at the contact, before sighing into you, seemingly at peace. Again, you smiled. Was it selfish to want to stay like this, if only for another few moments? If it was, you would be only too happily be selfish. You wanted to smooth the hair from their face, have them look up at you and grin a good morning. You wanted to kiss their forehead and tell them good morning in turn. Your face burned. You’d read about romances, but to find yourself entangled up in your own one-sided crush, it was something else entirely. You could understand what drove the brash stupidity of those heroes and heroines now.</p><p>Sunlight had begun to creep up the foot of the bed. How much longer could you stay like this? You had no intention of waking Hange, if they were tired enough to keep sleeping, they needed it. You had no clue what tests they had run the day prior, but knowing Hange, they’d be strenuous and almost mindlessly complicated. The fact they were clinging to you as they softly snored was just a positive coincidence. Your mind drifted to the day ahead. Maybe fluffy should show herself a bit, but, that would depend on Hange. You had a niggling feeling that they would insist on introducing you to everyone. In that case, fluffy would have to remain hidden. </p><p>It was sly, admittedly, how you got into their base, but you had seen no other possibility. All you could do was hope your indiscretion could be forgived. You knew that the Walls were the last of humanity, and for you to show up having lived outside them, what could you expect? You couldn’t exactly fault their suspicion. If they were testing on this titan shifter, what would they do to someone that could steal their faces? You knew you couldn’t hide forever, but for just, just a bit longer, you didn’t want anyone to look at you like some kind of monster.</p><p>Hange readjusted themself slightly, and your eyes instinctively snapped shut. Their breathing had quickened, the snores stopped. You felt their hold on you change, as if they were realising now what they had done. You had expected them to recoil in horror or disgust, but, they didn’t. They took their arms from around your waist gently, afraid to wake you, and placed them under their chin. Were they staring at your face? You had to hope you didn’t blush, and begged your heart to not go into overdrive. Staying motionless, you waited for Hange to make a move. The silence only added to your nervousness. </p><p>“You’re cosy, you know that? Well, probably not. I don’t think anyone would have told you that, but they should.”</p><p>Their words were no more than a whisper. Gentle, soft, the opposite of the individual that could and did get so ridiculously, and admitted adorably, excited about their work. You liked the sound of their voice regardless, but savoured this brief tenderness.</p><p>All too Hange sat up, the weight lifted from you, and your ears desperately searched for noise beyond the rustling of sheets. Should you get up? They were mumbling to themself now, about what they needed to do today. Your ears perked when your name was thrown into the mix. Was that a good thing?</p><p>You waited until they were in the bathroom before sitting up. The indentation they had left in the bed was already fading away, leaving you there, alone and noticeably colder. You should probably think about getting up with them, you mused. The uniform was still folded on a chair, but you weren’t looking forward to putting on all those straps again. </p><p>“Y/N!” You jolted. Their voice echoed from the bathroom. “I’m gonna show you how to use ODM gear today, I think there’s a training class on. Hurry it up!”</p><p>You sighed. No going back to bed now then. Running a hand through your hair, you took your uniform and sauntered closer to the bathroom door. At least it seemed to be a decent day outside, few clouds, and a light breeze ruffling the grass. There were worse days to fall and break your neck.</p><p>The door swung open, and Hange blinked in surprise at you.</p><p>“You’re up, good. Moblit’ll be waiting for me outside, get yourself sorted and I’ll go and set the scene for you.” They winked slyly. They were going to cover for you.</p><p>“I spoke to a cadet yesterday, Armin,” you flushed slightly, “I told him I was your assistant, I didn’t know what else to say tk explain why I was looking for you. Sorry.”</p><p>Their mouth formed into an ‘o’. Was that too far? “I can work with that, no problem. Buckle up then, assistant, you’re going to become a proper scout.”</p><p>With that, they shot you one final grin, and skipped outside. What had you signed yourself up for?</p><p>By the time you had joined them in the courtyard, they were well immersed within a conversation with Moblit. He had stared at you quizzically as you had sauntered over. Hange was animated, speaking with their hands grinning. When they noticed you, that softer smile returned.</p><p>“Moblit, meet my new assistant, Y/N!”</p><p>He smiled politely and offered a handshake. You took it.</p><p>“Moblit Berner. Don’t think I’ve seen you before.”</p><p>“No,” you admitted, “I was a... a clerk.” You’d devised an entire fake history for yourself as you’d sorted your hair in the mirror. “I’ve never been a soldier, but, I’m going to do all I can do to learn.”</p><p>He frowned at that. You couldn’t blame him. It looked like his squad leader had been dumped with a massive Y/N-sized liability. Hange, picking up on his reservations from the faint knitting of his brow, slung an arm over your shoulders.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’ll teach her everything she needs. She’ll be fine. Now, c’mon. We’re gonna show you how to fly with cables!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Part ten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>ODM gear is just as hard as it looks.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You had severely underestimated how difficult it was to use that boxy looking death trap. Hange had made it seem so easy, to Moblit it was like second nature. You, however, had flailed around, biting your tongue to keep that scream lodged in your throat.</p><p>“Come on Y/N! Keep your weight centred!” </p><p>Hange was halfway into the forest, leagues ahead of you. It wasn’t your forest, the trees were tiny in comparison and thoroughly unfamiliar, but the shadows of foliage still granted you some form of comfort. The metal of the handles had long since warmed under your fingers and white knuckled hands, as you desperately begged the powers that be not to let you faceplant or otherwise fail horribly. </p><p>Moblit had been quietly studying your progress, and to be frank, you weren’t surprised. You had seemingly turned up out of the blue, and now would be working in close proximity to Hange, and by proxy, him. Yet, you didn’t dislike him. There was a softness about him as you had watched him with Hange. He cared about them, very obviously, the metaphorical safety rail as Hange dangled over the edge.</p><p>“See if you can reach the boulder!”</p><p>It was a speck in the distance. You shook yourself and fired the triggers once more. There was some form of rhythm to it, between the firing, the momentum of being pulled, the swing. It reminded you of actual flight. You hadn’t flown for months, however. As much as you enjoyed being a hawk, the rapid speed they were capable of had terrified you. A pigeon was more your speed. This was not like a pigeon’s flight. You, however, were determined not to seem entirely incompetent. One swing after another, the speck got bigger. Half the battle was balancing the swords and triggers. They were compact, but heavy, and had almost caused you to crash at least seven times now. Yet somehow, people were able to use them as extensions of their own bodies. You could do this. You could remake your body times over into nearly anything. This was just another change.</p><p>Focus. The boulder was drawing closer now. You’d have to make a left turn. Gritting your teeth, you fired the left trigger, allowed it to reel you closer before firing the right to even yourself. You heard Hange shout their approval. You could do this. How did you stop though? There were no breaks on this thing. That small sliver of confidence had fizzled out, been stepped on and left alone now. You braced yourself for impact. The boots scuffed, and the force of your impact had thrown you to your knees. The blades had been thrown from your hands, slapping the rock to save yourself. Only, they weren’t hands anymore. Paws, pads roughened by the contact, and claws unsheathed leaving tiny indents in the grey. You cursed, looking them over, if reluctantly glad they’d stopped your hands from splitting.</p><p>“Y/N! You alright?” Hange’s voice was dangerously close now. You stuffed your still furry hands into your armpits, and silently willed them to change faster. You couldn’t let them find out like this. You couldn’t.</p><p>“Yeah, don’t worry, all good here.” You sat still on knees, turning to face Hange as they landed near.</p><p>“Your hands ok?”</p><p>Your pulse thrummed. “Yeah, just scuffed them a bit landing, don’t worry.”</p><p>Hange didn’t seem to hear that last part. They reached for your hands, and you held your breath. They were human again, you sighed inwardly, only to flush as they traced your palms with a single digit. How did they not see what they did to you? They were a scientist. Reactions and results were their specialty.</p><p>“They look ok, just a bit roughed up. You’re lucky. I nearly broke my arm after my first try.”</p><p>You smiled at them as they hauled you to your feet. Moblit had landed nearby, and gave an affirmative nod. </p><p>“As long as you can still write, Y/N. Now I’ve got someone to help with Hange, I might just be able to sleep more than four hours a day.”</p><p>“Aww, c’mon Moblit, you love it, you know you do.”</p><p>You weren’t sure whether to believe his eye bags or half-hearted smile as Hange began yet another tirade about their latest innovations. You knew Hange was endlessly energetic, Moblit however, seemed to lack that same stamina. You couldn’t blame him. It took something, different, to keep up with Hange. </p><p>You flexed your hands. There were only three scratches on the palms. It still amazed you how quick it was to switch between body parts, like you could pop them off and replace them. You could steal someone’s identity, if you wanted to. Forcing yourself into the body of another human was relatively simple, you had practiced with your mother, taking her shape and voice, and that of others whose sketches she had shown you. You blinked at Hange. You could even take theirs, if you wanted to. You shook yourself. No. That would be weird. </p><p>“We’ll head back here soon, do you think you can use your gear to get back?”</p><p>You adjusted the weight of the blades in your hands.</p><p>“Can do, no problem.”</p><p>The return was slightly less eventful. You only crashed twice. That was an achievement in itself. You weren’t anywhere close to the skill of either of your companions, but at least you knew how to get from A to B likely without snapping your neck. Moblit had disappeared, called off by some other soldier, leaving you and Hange to go the mess hall alone.</p><p>“You did pretty good today! I remember Levi’s first day. The instructor was not happy, said he was holding his blades wrong.” They stopped to chuckle. “He shut up once he saw him in action.”</p><p>They were close to Levi, despite the fact he seemed borderline unapproachable. He sat in the corner of the mess hall, alone, drinking what you could only assume was tea. His entire aura seemed to resonate with borderline disgust and hostility. Hange, however, seemed immune, making a beeline for him and patting him on the shoulder. You blinked in surprise as you watched him soften slightly. </p><p>“Hello Levi! Good day? More cleaning?”</p><p>His scowl flickered to their face.</p><p>“Fine, thank you four eyes. These brats couldn’t clean if their lives depended on it.”</p><p>You snorted at that, shrinking back as his eyes landed on you.</p><p>“Who’s that? Your latest victim?”</p><p>Hange sighed, “You’re so mean! This, magnificent specimen, is my new assistant Y/N! She’s here to help me and Moblit, I was just showing her the ropes with ODM gear today, and I’m sure she’ll pick it up in no time.”</p><p>Your ears burned under their praise.</p><p>“How the hell does someone get into the scouts without knowing how to use ODM? You’re dead before you set foot outside the walls.” </p><p>“Ah, well,” Hange pulled the chair out closest to him. “They’re not an official scout yet, I still need to run it by Erwin.”</p><p>You were left standing awkwardly as both sets of eyes locked onto you.</p><p>“So, you’re adopting random civilians now as well as titans and cats? This’ll end well.”</p><p>Hange patted the seat beside them, and you scampered to their side. Even as a human, the captain’s gaze was still able to make you feel as small and vulnerable as a housecat.</p><p>“Oh don’t be like that. I’m gonna make Y/N such a good scout she’ll give you a run for your money, just you see!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry this has been a bit late, life and ch138 got in the way lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Part eleven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You winced as your blow made contact with the dummy. It was past midnight now, some ungodly hour, you weren’t sure of, and you had left the warmth of your shared bed, rather stupidly, to squeeze in a few extra hours of training. You’d had to replace yourself with a pillow in to slip out. Your arms felt heavy as they pried Hange’s off of you, almost turning back when you saw them frown at the loss of your warmth, pulling the pillow closer in some desperate attempt to bring you back. You were doing this to protect them, you had to remind yourself. You could let them cuddle you later, ideally, once they understood what it really meant to you, and maybe even initiate the hug yourself.</p><p>Captain Levi had been right, you mused, your chest heaving and sweat sticking hair to your forehead. You depended too much on your shifting to survive. You couldn’t do that now, in their world, you couldn’t just turn into a panther and watch as a titan, confused, lost interest. You needed to adapt, and that meant doing what the scouts did. Learn to use ODM, to use those swords, and, to fight. Left, right, left, right. The monotony of the slap of knuckles on leather soon became a rhythm. You imagined the dummy had a knife. You ducked, jabbed it in its ribs, stepped back as it hunched over and slashed blindly. Go for the legs. You landed a kick at the base of the bag, the back of the knees, and your opponent buckled, their knife skittering away into the shadows. You stood still, panting now, but somewhat proud.</p><p>“You do that in a real fight and you’ll shatter your thumbs.”</p><p>You spun around, ducking under the cold gaze of none other than the captain. Speak of the devil. </p><p>“Sorry, sir,” the word still felt strange, you weren’t used to having to answer to anyone, “did I wake you?”</p><p>“I’m surprised you didn’t wake the whole squad slapping that thing. Are you trying to get your ass beat, or is it just a natural talent?”</p><p>You bit your tongue. He wasn’t even technically your superior, you weren’t even a scout. </p><p>“Natural talent.”</p><p>His gaze flickered between you and the punching bag.</p><p>“Keep your thumbs out of your fingers, and lighten up on your feet. If someone sneezed you’d end up on your ass.”</p><p>You blinked. You hadn’t expected genuinely helpful feedback. You’d expected more sarcastic input.</p><p>“Thank you, sir. Anything else I should do?”</p><p>“It’s not going to count for shit against a titan,” your face fell, there it was, “but it’s a start. Keep it up.”</p><p>With that, he gave you one final nod, and turned back up the corridor he had come from. That had been a, surprisingly, positive encounter. You readjusted your stance and unwrapped your fingers from around your thumbs. It felt better now, less pressure as you continued your assault on the bag. Hange had told you he hadn’t always been a scout, and watching him, it made sense. There was something different about him, something in his eyes, compared to the hundreds of new eyes you’d seen. He’d lost, and a lot. Hange hadn’t said who, but you had the wit not to pry. He hadn’t signed up to find meaning in his life, he believed in the cause, and despite his curtness, you couldn’t help but respect him for it.</p><p>You continued your onslaught until your muscles ached and sun began to seep in through the small basement window. The bag slowly came to a swinging stop. You’d have to sneak back into the bathroom, you groaned. Hange was taking you to meet the commander today, Erwin, and you wanted to make a good first impression, not show up like the sweaty mess you were at the moment. He’d take one look at you, ask Hange what ditch they dragged you out of, and kindly ask them to put you back.</p><p>The corridors were still relatively empty as you headed back. You were no longer an new oddity, just another face under the banner of the Wings of Freedom. Hange’s room wasn’t too far from the basement, and if you were careful, you hoped you would be able to let them sleep on. You winced as the door creaked, slipping inside, thankful the cold stone floor wouldn’t creak under your weight. Waiting for a moment, you heard Hange’s breathing continue in its slumber ridden monotony. You ventured from the office to the bedroom, and were proved correct. Hange was still wrapped around the pillow, drooling slightly in between soft snores. You bit back a soft chuckle. For all their bravado when they were awake, a sleepy Hange was utterly docile, and if you were honest, adorable.</p><p>You turned to grab your uniform, detangling the harness straps, when you heard the bed creak.</p><p>“Wha? Y/N? Where’d you go?” Hange was fumbling for their glasses, squinting slightly in your direction.</p><p>“Sorry, just wanted to get in a bit of training. I don’t wanna seem like a complete waste of space.” You smirked at them as they scowled.</p><p>“Shshsh, you’re no waste of space. Erwin’ll see that. I’ll be there with you, and then we can get back to focusing on getting new titan test subjects! I want to see if we can get an abnormal this time, and a regular, then I can compare them and, ah! Do so much more!”</p><p>Hange unwrapped themself from the pillow and stretched, their oversized shirt slipping down their collarbone. Heat burned at the back of your neck, as your head snapped forward. </p><p>“Do you want to borrow one of mine?”</p><p>“Hm?” You continued to fiddle with your harness, attempting to hide your blush.</p><p>“One of my shirts, it’s still fresh pressed.” </p><p>“Oh,” Hange had gotten out of bed now and stood to your left, rummaging through their drawers, “yeah, thanks, that’d be great.”</p><p>“Now go get ready, I need to get my nest experiment proposal together!”</p><p>An hour later, you sat, knee jittering, outside the rather imposing office of the Survey Corps’ commander. Hange had gone in alone, smiling at you and ensuring everything would be fine from atop her stack of dishevelled papers. That felt like an eternity ago. You weren’t alone waiting outside. A soldier, barely, you judged by looking at him, sat opposite, staring intently at the floorboards. He’d been waiting longer than you. He didn’t look, nor smell familiar. You scuffed your boot, fighting back a smile as he jolted slightly and finally looked at you. It clicked.</p><p>“Eren Jaegar?”</p><p>He frowned slightly at that. “Yeah?”</p><p>You dragged your chair slightly closer. “Hi. I’m Y/N.”</p><p>Your name seemed to ring a bell.</p><p>“Hange’s new assistant? From outside the walls?”</p><p>You nodded. “Pleased to meet you!”</p><p>Eren took your outstretched hand in his and shook it. Your meagre reputation preceded you.</p><p>“How did you survive out there, amongst the titans? How?”</p><p>His gaze was intense.</p><p>“Just had to be quick, and smart. Titans are dangerous, but stupid. As long as you stayed out of their reach, you were good.”</p><p>“Did you ever have to kill one?”</p><p>Your face fell. </p><p>“Once. But it wasn’t by choice. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I didn’t have those swords you do.”</p><p>“How then?”</p><p>Your mind reeled as you began to search for a feasible excuse or explanation. By some merciful intervention by the universe or higher power, you never had to answer, as Hange swung the door open.</p><p>“Erwin’s ready for you now!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Part twelve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Erwin was calm as you walked in. Unnervingly calm. He had nodded you in, indicated to the seat before his elaborate desk, in a far more organised state than Hange’s, and uttered not a single syllable. He studied you as you sat down, folding your hands over your lap, quietly, almost apathetically, sizing you up, assessing whether you would be an asset or a hindrance to his operation before either of you had opened your mouths. Those two blue eyes under his furrowed brow seemed to pry into the depths of your conscience. Past the light fluff to the dark, hidden spots you had attempted to paint over, that you kept back from even yourself. You had shrunk under Levi’s gaze, but this man’s, it was something else entirely. It was calculating, intelligent. You were tempted to sink into your chair, or turn into some small mammal and dive for cover. </p><p>“Hange tells me you lived outside the walls.”</p><p>You almost jolted when he spoke. </p><p>“Yes sir. Have, well, did all my life, until I met Hange.”</p><p>Erwin shuffled his chair closer, intertwining his fingers and resting his chin on his knuckles.</p><p>“And you managed to track them on your own? Make it through two walls, and show up on their doorstep? Forgive me if I find that slightly hard to believe.”</p><p>Your heart thrummed now. You had taken for granted how suspicious your sudden appearance appeared. From his perspective, you were some unknown outsider, who had infiltrated both the walls and the base of special operations squad, and the only reason any knew was because you let them.</p><p>“You set up the walls to stop titans from getting in, not people.”</p><p>“That’s not an answer.”</p><p>You bit your cheek. Of course he wouldn’t roll over that quickly. You pinged the straps on your legs.</p><p>“You don’t need much to scale them. Just enough determination and the right materials. I lived in a tree. I’m good at climbing.”</p><p>“She is! She dragged me up a tree!”</p><p>You’d almost forgotten they were there. Despite the tangible tension, you couldn’t help but smile as they beamed at you before looking at Erwin. Their expression was excited, but soft, different than the one when they spoke about titans. This was unfair. How dare they be cute when you were terrified.</p><p>“Very well.”</p><p>He sat back now, sighing and seemingly resigned to Hange’s input.</p><p>“In that case, I believe you may prove a useful individual in our fight against the titans. I assume, of course, that’s why your here, rather than to exchange pleasantries.”</p><p>“Yes, yes sir. I want to work beside Hange.”</p><p>He didn’t seem surprised by that.</p><p>“And how do you feel about this, Hange?”</p><p>They let out what you could only describe as a squeal and clapped their hands on your shoulders. How could they be so oblivious to the heat that would flush to your cheeks when they touched you? The glint in Erwin’s eyes told you he knew already.</p><p>“If I agree, Hange, you will be solely responsible for their training. Y/N won’t be able to partake in the next expedition, but based on their progress, they may well be eligible for the next.”</p><p>“I’ve already started showing them the ropes,” they squeezed you slightly, “it’ll be no problem!”</p><p>“Very well then. Y/N, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Survey Corps. Listen to your superiors and put the time in, and you’ll go far. Dedicate your heart!”</p><p>You flopped onto your shared bed. Hange had stayed behind to discuss further plans with the commander, and to be frank, you were glad of the respite. You hadn’t been sure what to expect when meeting Erwin  but he had certainly exceeded what mixed connotations you had. It was no wonder he was the man in charge. He was still wary of you, that was clear enough, but he trusted Hange enough to keep you under watch. If anything, that was your main takeaway from that meeting. You were toeing a thin line with Erwin.</p><p>As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t lie there forever. There were things that you needed to do now. You had a role now you were an official scout, responsibility, and your first one was tending to the horses. You hadn’t properly dealt with horses before. You’d sat by them as Fluffy, seen them with the scouts, but never actually interacted with one as a human. So when a large brown gelding shied back from your outstretched hand, you faltered slightly. Did you still smell like a predator to it? You scented yourself. There was still some faint twinges. Casting a glance over your shoulder, you turned to the courtyard. Soldiers were clustered in groups chattering amongst themselves. No one was looking at you. With a shallow breath, you allowed your body to alter itself again, this time only minutely. If you smelt like one of them, the creature may allow you to approach without threatening to cave your skull in. The beast snorted, its ears swivelling in wonder as it drunk in your new scent.</p><p>“I’m not here to hurt you handsome, I just want to give you a quick brush,” you cooed, extending your fist. The horse’s eyes flickered to your face, and with slow, tentative, clicking steps, came closer to the edge of the stall. You held your breath as its own fanned over your knuckles. It inhaled the scent of your hand, and now, seemed content. The gelding butted your wrist, and you couldn’t help but chuckle as you ran your hand gingerly over its velvety snout.</p><p>“See? I’m not that scary, am I? I’m just a big softie, don’t you worry.”</p><p>You ran your fingers through its mane, marvelling at the hard muscle of its neck beneath. These animals were bred for speed, endurance, survival, and it was blatantly obvious from even his relaxed stature. He was a beautiful creature, now content to stand by your side as you smoothed its coat with a brush.</p><p>“That’s a good boy, mhm, you’re a big softie too, aren’t you?”</p><p>You cooed absentmindedly as you worked, only stopping when you heard the faint scuffling footfalls of another.</p><p>“Fluffy! Fluffy, dinner! Fluff –“</p><p>The voice stopped as it saw you.</p><p>“Hiya Armin,” you peeked over your shoulder, offering up a soft smile. “Looking for something?”</p><p>“Hi Y/N. Yeah, Hange’s cat, Fluffy, no one’s seen her for a few days. I thought she might have come back to the stables.”</p><p>Your gut twisted. He seemed genuinely disappointed.  </p><p>“Maybe she went home? She could be a wanderer,” you shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “You ever had a cat before?”</p><p>“Maybe, and no, but the woman that lived near Grandpa did. He was called Mr Whiskers, he was a bit of a bad kitty. Anyways, how’re you settling in?”</p><p>Armin visibly brightened at the opportunity for a change in topic.</p><p>“I’m looking forward to it, and slightly terrified at the same time. Is that normal?”</p><p>Armin laughed at that, sitting on a pile of hay bales only several feet over.</p><p>“I’d be more concerned if you weren’t scared. I think everyone’s on the same boat here,” he turned back to the courtyard. The sun was starting to set, bathing the inhabitants in a warm orange glow. “People just need to find something to cling to through the fear and despair.”</p><p>You’d finished on the horse’s mane. Taking its tail in one hand, you continued to comb the strands with the other. What were you clinging to? The hope of freedom like so many? You were freer than most, but trapped in a completely different way. You stilled your hand momentarily. Did you want something, yes, but you wanted something else, you realised. Or rather, someone.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Part thirteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You were exhausted by the time you were trundling towards your shared bedroom. The stench of horse had taken a thorough scrubbing to get out of your skin, but it had been worth it. You carried out your first duty as a scout to the tee. You’d gotten through the entirety of the stable, mares, stallions, geldings, and Armin had stayed throughout, even beyond sunset when the cold had set in. He was an easy person to talk to, even with your reluctance to open up. He was a good kid, more quick-witted than you had initially given him credit for. Part of you wondered why he had placed himself somewhere so physically demanding, when his mental capacity could have put him anywhere. You had shrugged it off. If he wanted to tell you, one day he would. </p><p>Armin had opened up to you about his experiences in training whilst you’d removed matted hair from a dark mare’s mane. The instructor had head-butted one kid, made another run laps, and constantly reminded the remainder that all they would ever be was titan fodder. You had voiced your concern about his methodse as you worked the final few strands free. Armin was still a kid to you now, he must have been a child when he went through it. The horrors of this world inside the walls waited for no one, you mused. Still, you were grateful beyond words you hadn’t been put through this Shadis’ shouting. He sounded like a nightmare. You probably would have buckled under his onslaught at that age.</p><p>Shaking off those thoughts, you hesitated outside Hange’s door. Your towel was still slung over your shoulders, your hair letting loose stray droplets. You stopped as your hand made contact with the cold metal of the doorknob. There were several people inside. Your ear twitched. Levi? Yes, his voice was clearest, irritated as ever. Moblit was there too, mediating between the Captain and Section Commander, and some other man you didn’t recognise. Should you go in? You sighed, moving your hand from the doorknob. You couldn’t interrupt. It sounded important, given the tones and urgency of their voices, and the longer you stood loitering at the door, the more guilty you felt. You were a scout, but not a trusted one. Not yet, at least, you were going to have to comb another hundred or so horses before you were given a smidgen of trust, and being caught eavesdropping wouldn’t help your case.</p><p>You ambled further back down the corridor and leant against the cold brick, a shiver racking your body. You could wait for them to finish their business, it couldn’t be much longer now. It would be near midnight at this point. What few soldiers you had seen had gone to their barracks, and frankly you couldn’t blame them. It’d be nice to get to bed in turn yourself. Warm, and with Hange. You flushed. This was getting out of hand, you needed to control your emotions. You’d never had this problem on your own, the warm fuzzy feeling that would run amok if they so much as smiled at you. It was stupid. Be fond of them, protect them by all means, but protect yourself in kind. Get too fond of them and you would get sloppy. Being sloppy would get you killed, by a titan or a human. As close as you got to Hange and Armin, you’d have to hold them at arm’s length, and it hurt. A different kind of pain, no extent of time would close over. You shook off the thought, focusing on the flickering torchlight. Besides, Hange was fixated on titans, and you had the sneaking suspicion they had been for a while and probably would be forever. You were something, but not a titan. You’d just have to stay in the corner.</p><p>The door clicked, and you continued to stare at the bricks for another few heartbeats, feigning indifference. Levi made eye contact with you as your gaze drifted, and nodded his acknowledgement. He was officially your superior now. You dipped your head in turn. Moblit emerged speaking to the other man animatedly, gesturing with his hands, who towered over him considerably. Blonde, with a scruffy moustache and beard, you were sure he was taller than anyone you’d met. He stopped to sniff the air, and you flinched. You’d just had a shower, even to your acute senses you smelt more like a strawberry than a person. You opened your mouth slightly to scent him. Human, completely. There was no way could smell you were something else, was there? He turned to you and frowned slightly. Oh. Oh no.</p><p>You straightened as he walked closer, his conversation with Moblit forgotten. Did you salute him? Bow? What? That wasn’t part of your welcome speech. He was standing in front of you now, peering at you down his nose. Your stomach dropped. You couldn’t bring yourself to make eye contact. He leant down to sniff once more, just above your shoulder, and you would be lying if you said you weren’t slightly scared. The hell had you signed up for? Were all the scouts as eccentric as Hange? Was there someone here that licked people as well? The man stood back up, quirked a brow at you, then smirked, as if you’d told him something dryly amusing. You released the breath you hadn’t realised you’d been holding. </p><p>“C’mon Miche, you know it makes sense!” Hange popped their head out the door, and you shot them a pleading glance. You were stuck between a wall and a man that had just approached you like some bloodhound. Upon realising your situation, Hange bit their lip, fighting back a giggle. They were enjoying this, seeing you pressing yourself up against the wall and silently begging.</p><p>“Ah, I see you’ve met my new assistant, Y/N. Y/N, this is Section Commander Miche. Miche, Y/N, Y/N, Miche.”</p><p>“P-pleased to meet you, sir.”</p><p>“You’re the one from outside of the Walls, aren’t you? You smell like it, you smell like a tree.”</p><p>You weren’t quite sure what to make of that, nodding when the words didn’t quite come out.</p><p>“Get your asses in bed. We’ve got one more day to plan this thing, and I don’t want anyone falling asleep mid-meeting.” Levi tapped Miche on the back as he passed by, and you were grateful. He for one seemed to actively read your discomfort.</p><p>Moblit stretched, yawning in agreement. Hange had him worked to the bone at the best of time, he could use the rest he agreed. Miche cast one final glance at you before following his comrade down the corridor, offering Hange a curt goodnight. They, however, were still grinning at you from the doorway. Only once the other officers had turned the corner did your eyes snap back to your roommate.</p><p>“Oh don’t look at me like that, Miche does that to everyone when they join. You should have seen Eren’s face.”</p><p>“You’re lucky I’m tired or I’d wipe that smirk off your face,” you grumbled as you walked past Hange, still stifling a chuckle.</p><p>“Oh yeah, that reminds me, where did you go last night?”</p><p>You hung your uniform over the back of a chair and sighed, flopping back into the duvet.</p><p>“Just needed some time to figure things out.”</p><p>“I thought you might have run off ” Hange admitted, after a moment of silence. You drew yourself back up to your elbows and blinked at them.</p><p>“Why would you think that?”</p><p>Their back was turned to you now, they were fiddling in their drawers. </p><p>“I don’t know, just, from what I’ve seen, you’ve been able to come and go your whole life. Suddenly being tied down? Having to answer to someone? Having to devote your life to a cause all of a sudden? I don’t think it’s beyond the realm of possibility that it would be too much for you.”</p><p>Hange had gathered their clothes on their arm. A pit opened in your stomach. Did they honestly think this wasn’t what you wanted?</p><p>“You came into the Walls easily. Why couldn’t you leave as easily? What’s keeling you here, trapped, when you had been able to survive in that freedom for so long?”</p><p>“Did you ever think how lonely it was?”</p><p>You had stood up now, shuffling closer to them.</p><p>“Do you know how alone I was, Hange? Freedom needs meaning. Mine had none. I’d never had to fight for it. It was given to me by blind luck, random chance, whatever you want to call it,” your heart thrummed, “it meant nothing. I know why you fight for it, but, maybe if I have to too, I’ll be able to appreciate it. I’ll earn my freedom with the people that deserve it.”</p><p>Your erratic pulse continued as you grabbed Hange’s free hand. </p><p>“You, you inspired me. Meeting you changed my life, I would never give that up, and I won’t. So get that out of your head. We both know why I came here, and it wasn’t for my love of architecture,” you forced a smile, and squeezed the hand in yours. They hadn’t tried to pull back. “Now go get cleaned up, I’m gonna get cold in bed on my own.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Part fourteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There had been no titan theories, no banter as they joined you in bed that night. Their hair was still half damp, clinging to their face and neck when they emerged from the bathroom. They didn’t look at you as they put their clothes away. Your stomach had fallen. Had you put too much on them? Did they hate you? Hange’s back remained facing you as they climbed under the covers. They did, didn’t they? You exhaled slowly, gathering your limbs to move further back. You could sleep outside if it would make them more comfortable, the last thing you wanted to do was exacerbate the situation.</p><p>With the creak of the bedframe, a hand reached back, searching for your retreating form.</p><p>“Hange?”</p><p>“Just, stay close. Please. For tonight,” their voice was timid as they offered up their entreaty, gently pulling you closer by the wrist. Heat burned your ears. Gingerly, you obliged, edging back over, leaving a few centimetres between your bodies. You didn’t want to overstep. Hange, however, closed the gap themself, pressing flush against you and drawing your arm over their waist. </p><p>You couldn’t breathe.</p><p>“Can I, can I hug you with both arms?”</p><p>Hange hummed their permission, and you shuffled your other arm around them, careful to not make them uncomfortable. Up close now, their scent flooded your senses. They smelt fresh, sweet, almost intoxicating. You pressed your nose to the nape of their neck, strands of damp hair tickling your face. Despite how quickly your heart was racing, you were content.</p><p>“Night, Hange.”</p><p>“Good night, Y/N.”</p><p>For the first time in years, you slept through the night completely. You woke in a mess of limbs, only half yours. Hange had turned over in the night, now facing you, still on their side, with their face buried in your chest. Their breath fluttered against you with each soft rasp. You weren’t entirely sure where you stood with them, but for now, you were more than happy being able to hold them like this. It was warm. Cosy. Content. You hoped they would talk to you more today. Taking a shaky hand, you ran it through the length of their tresses. Their hair was softer than it looked, and seemed longer when it wasn’t held up in a ponytail. You combed through it, noting silently the satisfied sigh as you moved up to their scalp. Cute. You rubbed circles into their head, still nestled beneath your chin.</p><p>“That feels nice,” your hand stopped for a second at that. Hange was awake. How long had they been?</p><p>“Don’t stop on my account. I’m not complaining,” their arms, wrapped around you now, tightened slightly. That simple movement drew yet another wave of flushes. </p><p>“As long as you’re happy, I am,” you breathed lowly. The closeness was an idyll.  This was the first, the only person, that you had fallen for. It was quicker, steeper and more unpredictable than you had imagined, but you loved it, and to be holding them like this, was perfect. In that moment you realised you would be somewhat content even if they didn’t reciprocate your feelings. This closeness was enough. Just to be there for them, that would be enough.</p><p>“Levi scheduled a meeting first thing today. Shorty’s gonna throw a fit if I don’t show up again,” they nuzzled back into your shirt. You smirked.</p><p>“So, you’re gonna blame me for that then, eh? Sorry I’m late, I was held hostage.”</p><p>Hange chuckled into your chest. Good. That was the person you knew.</p><p>“I’m not entirely confident that would go down well. We’re heading out tomorrow. I need to get the full go ahead on my titan trap.”</p><p>You’d completely forgotten amidst your flurry of emotions. Hange would be going without you. You couldn’t protect them.</p><p>“I should probably let you go then,” disappointment settled in your stomach like a stone as you unravelled yourself. Immediately you felt cold without their warmth.</p><p>“I’ll be back as soon as I can tonight, it’ll depend how long it’ll take for Moblit to agree to serve as bait.”</p><p>That mischievous glint returned to their eyes as they donned their glasses. Good luck to him.</p><p>“Anyways, what are you down for today? Cleaning? More cleaning?”</p><p>You slid off the bed, taking back your uniform. </p><p>“Don’t know honestly, I’d assume I’ll be helping stock up for the mission.”</p><p>Hange hummed in agreement, tying their hair up. You had to snap your gaze away from the slender expanse of their neck as they cast a glance over their shoulder. </p><p>“I can get ready in the bathroom down the hall,” you swallowed dryly. The mood you were in, it would do you good to slap yourself round the face with cold water.</p><p>Hange blinked at you innocently.</p><p>“Are you sure? I don’t mind having you in here.”</p><p>That wasn’t the problem, you hissed internally.</p><p>“Yeah, don’t want to keep you any later.”</p><p>Hange shrugged, leaving you with a final grin.</p><p>“See you round then!”</p><p>You had been right in your assumptions. Half an hour later, you found yourself lifting crates full of gas canisters onto carts. They were heavier than you had expected, and you would be lying if you said you hadn’t altered your physiology just so to compensate. You were with several other cadets that had graduated alongside Armin and you had been introduced to prior. Connie and Sasha were bickering over what looked like a stolen potato. The two tall ones, Reiner and Bertholdt, were talking amongst themselves, drowned out by the sound of Eren bickering with Mikasa.</p><p>From what you’d seen of him and heard, he was a firecracker. That drive was both a blessing and a curse. There was something wild about him, a fire in his eyes. No wonder there was so much pinned on him. A drive like that could keep you going for years if you could keep it up. For his sake, you hoped he could. Your eyes drifted over to the last of the cadets, with Jean feigning nonchalance as he heaved two crates at a time. Armin’s discomfort was much more apparent.</p><p>Leaving your work behind once finished, you sidled over to him, helping him with his cart. His eyes widened, before softening into a thankful smile. </p><p>“You don’t have to. I’m a scout. I can take care of myself.”</p><p>“I know,” you grunted as you dug your nails into the wood, “but so am I now. Am I not allowed to help my comrades?”</p><p>He noticed the teasing in your tone and sighed, accepting defeat. His eyes trailed over to his other friends, still arguing over Mikasa’s interventions.</p><p>“He’s too stubborn for his own good sometimes.”</p><p>“Somehow I kinda figured. I get wanting to be independent, but you gotta lean on people at some point. Living alone taught me that much at least.”</p><p>Armin nodded. He hadn’t burdened you with extensive questions about your life before, seemingly accepting that was one chapter of you life over and done with, and you were grateful. But the niggling suspicion that his politeness was holding back his curiosity continued.</p><p>“Armin! Tell Mikasa she doesn’t need to baby me all the time, she won’t listen to me!”</p><p>Eren strode over, teeth clenched and face flushed. Armin smiled sympathetically at him, and took on what seemed like the role of a practiced mediator. They were good friends. Maybe if you survived for long enough, you could make friends like that too.</p><p>“Oi! Stop gawking at that suicidal maniac and help me!”</p><p>Your gaze snapped back to Jean, buried under three crates with his legs trembling. Trying to impress someone had come back to bite him in the ass. Reiner was there to bear the brunt before his friend’s legs gave in. You stifled a chuckle. With everyone pre-occupied, you took the chance to slip away. </p><p>You headed back to where you had stashed your backpack forever ago. Still there, you slid down the trunk to sit in amidst the roots. You needed to focus on the most pressing issue. What did you do about tomorrow? You knew Hange was a veteran, they could take care of themself, but the whole reason you had even met had been due to their accident. They would have been eaten if you hadn’t shown up. What if they needed you again?</p><p>Thinking about it logically, it was a possibility that you could follow Hange, just, not as a human. If you were going to, you’d have to slip out unseen. Make up some excuse to the few people left behind and disappear for the day. It was feasible enough. But then, you follow them and do what? Intervene if they need you? Show Hange that there was some sort of shape-changing monster out there? You sighed, running a hand through your hair. You just wanted to sit and hold them again, not worry about their life, but it seemed the two were intertwined.</p><p>It was decided then, if only reluctantly. You would follow them using whatever body you needed, and protect them how you could. Yes, your jaw clenched. Hange would be fine. You would make sure of it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Part fifteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Head's up, this chapter's pure spice, so if you're not into that ignore this one. First time I've ever written smut, so I hope this is ok!</p>
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    <p>Hange was the first to make it to bed that night, and frankly, you were surprised. You'd gotten used to laying waiting for them, yet them taking that role for you wasn't entirely unappealing. They were immersed in their notes, scribbling some form of measurement onto a complex looking diagram, and oblivious of your arrival until you clicked the door shut. Then, they smiled up at you. </p><p>"You're late tonight." </p><p>"And you're busy tonight," you hummed. </p><p>Instantaneously their face lit up. Erwin had given them the go ahead then. </p><p>"Yes! Moblit agreed to help. We'll be testing out these new net canons I've designed, the rope guns last time weren't enough, but, these babies should be perfect. We'll just have to go for a smaller titan than I'd have hoped, a seven or eight meter, nine if we're lucky. Maybe we'll even get two." Hange shivered with excitement. </p><p>You bit back a smile. Only they could make discussing the capture of giant naked man-eaters adorable. </p><p>"Just don't stay up too late, you need to be on top tomorrow." </p><p>"I won't, I was just waiting for you. It's nice having someone to sleep beside." </p><p>You couldn't deny the smile at that. You slid under the covers as they stashed their work under the bed. </p><p>"Can you hold me again? That was, it was nice last night." </p><p>You hummed in agreement, blood pumping, as Hange settled back into your grip. Your arms laced around their waist, your legs intertwined. You could get used to this very easily. Adjusting your knee slightly, you felt Hange tense. Did you hurt them? You moved your leg once more. They inhaled sharply. </p><p>Where was your knee? You were entangled in Hange completely, it was difficult to figure out just what parts of you were touching what parts of them. Your face burned when the realisation hit you. Your knee was under their crotch. The rational half of your brain told you to move back and forget about it, but that mischevious desire to know what would happen if you pushed further was in control now. It wasn't going to let go in a hurry. </p><p>You repeated the motion, and again Hange flinched. You moved ever so slightly back and forth, listening as their breath hitched. Their face was hidden with their back to you, but you could imagine their expression perfectly. Contorted ever so slightly, the deep red flush of their lips contrasted by the whites of their teeth gently holding the tender flesh, suppressing the faint pants that threatened to spill from them. </p><p>"If you're going to tease me, you're going to have to deal with the aftermath." </p><p>You drew closer to them now, your own lips dangerously close to their ear. </p><p>"Does this mean you want me to?" You accentuated your question with another quick bounce of your leg. </p><p>"Yes." </p><p>With that single breathy word, your lips latched onto their earlobe. You toyed with the skin, sucking, nibling, continuing to grind your knee the while. Now, however, you could feel Hange pressing back onto you with a hint of desperation. You trailed your tongue down to the crook of their neck, smirking into their flesh as they groaned lowly. They liked this. You nipped lightly, savouring the surprised yelp. </p><p> </p><p>You had never done this before, but instinct seemed to have taken over. Make Hange feel good. However you could. You unbuttoned their shirt, careful to leave only feather light touches on their skin. Hange' breathing deepened. Spurred on by their reactions, you lowered your hands from their waist, dragging your nails lightly over their toned stomach. The scent of their arousal flooded your senses as your fingers snuck ever lower, and you had to consciously suppress the growl threatening to echo from your throat. They had no idea what they did to you at all. </p><p>You hovered above their waistband, searching for some kind of permission, which was found when their fingers interlocked with yours, and pushed you closer to their core. </p><p>"You want me, hm?" </p><p>"Hah, hah," even without any proper contact, they were riled up beyond relief. They nodded. "I want you."</p><p> </p><p>That was all you needed and more. Your hand dove down, digits lightly tracing their slit. They were wet, but not so wet that you wanted to delve inside just yet. Instead, you took to teasing their clit now. It throbbed as you fingers toyed with the bud, Hange again stifling the noises that threatened to spill out. </p><p>"Let me hear you, please," you nuzzled into their neck, your hands still working in perfect sinful tandem. They moaned. "That's it. Good, good. Keep going." </p><p>You increased your speed, one hand continuing to toy with their bundle of nerves as the other ran the edge of their entrance. They were warm, keening for you to push a finger inside, and with a smirk, you did so. A single finger slipped inside their velvety walls, dragging up and down, back and forth, trying to find a way or a spot that would make them squirm. It took another finger for that spot to become apparent. </p><p>Hange was louder now. They were sprawled on their back, a hand gripping your hair. You trailed kisses down their stomach tantalisingly slowly, only to be pulled down quicker. Impatient now, weren't they? With three fingers now dragging along the soft ridges of their walls, you lowered your mouth to their clit. You blew on it, watching in pleasure as their cunt twitched. </p><p>"Please, keep going Y/N, please - ah!" </p><p>You didn't let them finish as your lips latched onto them. Their wetness hit your tongue, and you hummed in content. They tasted better than you had imagined. You massaged the flesh with your tongue, continuing to pump your fingers in and out, curling at just the right spot to make them shiver. They were getting close. The blush on their cheeks, how their nipples stood hard and erect against their breezy shirt. Hange Zoe was beautiful. </p><p>"Please, Y/N, please I need, ah," they were practically incoherent now. You had reduced the chronic babller to nothing but an indecipherable string of grunts and moans. </p><p>Placing a kiss on their core, you moved your face up to meet them, still licking their wetness from your lips. </p><p>"What do you need, love? Tell me." </p><p>Lacking the words, Hange simply thrust their face up to yours, catching your lips in a desperate kiss that somehow felt more personal than bringing them to the edge. It was sloppy, messy, disorientated by pleasure, but desperate for contact. You ran your tongue along their bottom lip to be invitingly welcomed inside, sucking on the hot pink muscle contained within. What few noises that managed to slip out were swallowed by the sound of wet skin on skin. </p><p>Hange had tightened around your fingers considerably. You pulled back. The entirety of their face seemed to be red, from their ears to their lips, still puffy and slick. You slowed your hand. They whined, fingers tightening in your hair. </p><p>"On my face," you purred, reaching down to place open mouthed kisses on their neglected nipples, "finish on my face." </p><p>"Y/N, I can't." </p><p>You kissed down their torso once more, sucking and nibbling spots above their hips. Silently you hoped they would bruise, something about Hange being marked by you riled you up even more. You lowered yourself back down between their thighs, working their clit and cunt with one hand, with the other kneading their flesh. More bruises promised to form on their thighs as you nipped, savouring the way they trembled beneath you. </p><p>For all your thoughts of Hange, you'd have been lying if you said you had imagined this, having them writhing beneath you, panting and keening for your touch. It was exhilirating. Your own pleasure was inconsequential. Hange was your focus as you mouth dove back onto their core. Your tongue took to circling their clit, massaging their insides with your hand. They were nearly there. Their back had arched of the bed, sweat formed on their torso. You sped up. Hange's moans increased. You didn't care if anyone heard it anymore, let them. Let them know what you could do to Hange. </p><p>"I'm gonna, please Y/N, I'm gonna..." They trailed off into breathy pants once more. </p><p>With a final flick of the tongue, their entire body shuddered. Hange yelped, yanking at the roots of your hair and pushing you further between their legs as they rode out their orgasm. You lapped up the fluids that had spilled onto your face during their rhythmic contractions, humming in content even as Hange continued to twitch, overstimulated. They tasted sweet. </p><p>Now their fingers had slipped free from your scalp, their arms sprawled beside them haphazardly. They were still panting. You shuffled free of their legs, coming to lay beside them, wiping off the last traces of your actions with the back of your hand. </p><p>"Feel better now?" </p><p>Hange's pupils were dilated, eyes half lidded. They gave a soft hum and nodded, shuffling closer to you. </p><p>"My turn now, I think," their muscles bunched as they readied themself to get up, but you simply wrapped your arms around their neck, bringing their head onto your chest. </p><p>"Nu uh, love. You need your rest, and you'll sleep well after that," you added coyly. Hange's face fell visibly. You leant foraard to give them a chaste kiss. "Come back to me in one piece, and I'm all yours love." </p><p>They settled into your embrace at that, and with their voice now heavy with sleep, voiced their approval. </p><p>"I'd like that."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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